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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. branch — a division
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rule — a law
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rule — government
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bulb — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com