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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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Word bank
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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: pop · vault · bear · bore · hand · degree · rush · nail

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. pop — music
  3. vault — a safe
  4. hand — help
  5. pop — to visit
  6. degree — an amount
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pop — soda
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bore — to tire
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rush — to hurry
  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