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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 120 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: lean · content · cap · track · degree · snap · straw · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. lean — to bend
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. content — happy
  11. track — a song
  12. snap — to click
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. degree — temperature
  15. content — the amount
  16. track — a path
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lean — thin
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. vault — a safe
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cap — a hat
  24. degree — an amount

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