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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. degree — temperature
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bear — the animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bear — the animal
  10. degree — an amount
  11. spring — of water
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cold — an illness
  16. spring — the season
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. degree — from a university
  19. suit — to fit
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. spring — a coil
  23. craft — boats
  24. lie — an untruth

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