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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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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: vault · ground · cabinet · mug · lie · mark · degree · cell

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ground — the earth
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mug — a face
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. degree — temperature
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — a position
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cell — a phone
  24. degree — an amount

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