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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · ground · lash · degree · current · wave · land · vault

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. degree — an amount
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. land — a country
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. land — ground
  17. degree — temperature
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. current — electric
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. degree — from a university
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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