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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: nail · rash · band · clip · rock · row · vault · degree

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. row — a line
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rock — a stone
  7. vault — a safe
  8. clip — a video
  9. band — a ring
  10. degree — temperature
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — to paddle
  13. degree — an amount
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. clip — to cut
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. degree — from a university
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rock — music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. band — a music group

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