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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.

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: degree · rash · drill · vault · hide · mug · row · chip

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mug — to rob
  3. degree — from a university
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. row — to paddle
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. drill — a practice
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mug — a face
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mug — a cup
  19. drill — army training
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. degree — an amount

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