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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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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: cabinet · rock · track · fork · vault · lie · degree · mate

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. track — a song
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. track — a path
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rock — music
  10. mate — a friend
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mate — to breed
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fork — in a road
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  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