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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: degree · object · file · pit · hide · present · wave · vault

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. present — there
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. present — a gift
  9. object — to protest
  10. present — the time now
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. object — an aim
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. file — a document
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pit — a hole
  18. object — a thing
  19. file — a tool
  20. degree — from a university
  21. vault — a safe
  22. degree — an amount
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wave — with your hand

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