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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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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: safe · cabinet · pass · tear · hand · vault · present · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. present — the time now
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tear — from crying
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. present — a gift
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. present — there
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hand — help
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pass — a permit
  24. tear — to rip

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