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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 116 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
468
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: chip · vault · bulb · chair · file · calf · degree · rush

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — a leader
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. degree — temperature
  17. chip — to eat
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bulb — for light

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