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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. tube — a container
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. season — of the year
  9. race — a contest
  10. craft — a skill
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. race — humankind
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rash — a series
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rash — hasty

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