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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: fan · deal · cabinet · straw · ground · degree · leaves · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. degree — an amount
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. degree — from a university
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ground — crushed
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ground — the earth
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. ground — a position
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. deal — a big deal

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