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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: lie · toast · drill · vault · lean · bay · racket · degree

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. degree — an amount
  5. toast — bread
  6. degree — temperature
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lie — to recline
  12. degree — from a university
  13. lean — thin
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. drill — a practice
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. drill — army training
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lie — an untruth

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