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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: snap · vault · degree · roll · wake · bear · present · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. present — the time now
  3. degree — an amount
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rule — government
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. roll — a list
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bear — the animal
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. degree — from a university
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. vault — a safe
  21. snap — to click
  22. wake — a trail
  23. roll — a cake
  24. degree — temperature

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