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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: craft · foot · lean · vault · ball · bound · degree · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lean — thin
  8. rest — a break
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. degree — an amount
  12. ball — a dance
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. craft — boats
  16. vault — a safe
  17. degree — temperature
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lean — to bend
  24. degree — from a university

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