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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: degree · hand · plane · race · vault · nail · bear · stock

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hand — help
  8. stock — shares
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stock — goods
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. race — a contest
  24. plane — an aircraft

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