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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · vault · degree · pitcher · rush · bay · leaves · chest

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chest — of your body
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. chest — a box
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chest — of your body
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rush — hurry
  24. leaves — to go away

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