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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: wave · cap · vault · lie · degree · cabinet · foot · key

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. key — in music
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cap — a hat
  7. degree — from a university
  8. key — for a lock
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. key — the most important part
  13. degree — temperature
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cap — a lid
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cap — of ice
  21. foot — a measure
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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