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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pop — soda
  4. vault — a safe
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bank — of a river
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. degree — an amount
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. snap — to click
  11. ground — the earth
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rash — hasty
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pop — music
  17. rash — a series
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ground — a position
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. rush — hurry

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