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

Word bank: vault · degree · lash · bear · key · press

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. press — a publisher
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — in music
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. press — to push
  16. vault — a safe
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bear — the animal

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