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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 · bound · charge · straw · file · pop · wind · degree

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. degree — temperature
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. charge — a price
  7. pop — music
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pop — to visit
  10. degree — from a university
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wind — moving air
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bound — certain
  16. degree — an amount
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. charge — in control
  19. pop — soda
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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