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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 120 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 · kid · degree · cue · temple · ruler · tear · stick

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. tear — to rip
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kid — to tease
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cue — a hint
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cue — for pool
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. kid — child
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. degree — an amount
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cue — a signal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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