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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
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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 · degree · rash · bowl · foot · spring · cabinet · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rash — a series
  6. spring — of water
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. degree — temperature
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. saw — the tool
  16. degree — an amount
  17. foot — a measure
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. foot — part of the body

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