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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wax — to grow
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spell — letters
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. spell — magic
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bound — certain
  12. degree — from a university
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bound — obliged
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. degree — an amount
  19. spell — a short time
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  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