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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 120 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. key — in music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. key — for a lock
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. degree — from a university
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lean — thin
  10. craft — boats
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lean — to bend
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cell — in biology
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cell — a phone
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bear — the animal

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