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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: rest · vault · wake · wave · current · ruler · degree · tube

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. rest — what's left
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tube — a container
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wake — a trail
  11. current — of water
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. rest — a break

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