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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: cap · wind · wave · hide · vault · degree · pound · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cap — a hat
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pound — a weight
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cap — of ice
  22. degree — an amount
  23. wind — moving air
  24. hide — animal skin

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