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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. craft — boats
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. degree — an amount
  9. firm — a company
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. drill — army training
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fork — in a road
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. firm — steady
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rush — hurry

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