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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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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: vault · arm · chest · saw · mug · ruler · degree · staff

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. staff — a stick
  3. saw — the tool
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mug — a face
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chest — of your body
  9. staff — employees
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. degree — from a university
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chest — of your body
  17. vault — a safe
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. degree — temperature
  23. staff — employees
  24. mug — to rob

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