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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: rule · degree · rest · pit · lie · plane · date · vault

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rule — a law
  3. degree — from a university
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. degree — an amount
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lie — to recline
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pit — a hole
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rule — government
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rest — what's left
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. degree — temperature
  24. plane — an aircraft

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