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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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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: fine · race · vault · row · hand · temple · wake · degree

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fine — all right
  6. wake — a trail
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. hand — help
  11. race — the arms race
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fine — high quality
  17. degree — temperature
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. degree — from a university
  20. vault — a safe
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. row — a line
  24. temple — a place of worship

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