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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · arm · temple · vault · rash · degree · bark · can

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. degree — temperature
  3. can — a tin
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. vault — a safe
  6. can — to be able to
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mate — to breed
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. degree — an amount
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rash — a series
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rash — hasty

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