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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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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: snap · rule · safe · object · vault · date · degree · cabinet

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. object — to protest
  5. degree — from a university
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — temperature
  8. snap — to click
  9. object — an aim
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. object — a thing
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rule — government
  18. date — the fruit
  19. degree — an amount
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rule — a law
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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