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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. degree — an amount
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rock — music
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. firm — a company
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. firm — decided
  13. degree — temperature
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. firm — steady
  17. rock — a stone
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rash — hasty
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. degree — from a university
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rash — a series

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