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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 · vault · rash · current · degree · key · cold · kid

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. current — happening now
  4. cold — not warm
  5. key — in music
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. kid — child
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. key — the most important part
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. vault — a safe
  15. fine — all right
  16. rash — hasty
  17. kid — to tease
  18. key — for a lock
  19. current — electric
  20. cold — an illness
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. current — of water
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rash — a series

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