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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: kick · degree · bowl · track · roll · hide · wave · vault

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. track — a song
  3. degree — temperature
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. roll — a cake
  10. track — to keep track
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. roll — a list
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. kick — in football
  23. track — a path
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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