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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mark — a trace
  7. last — to go on
  8. craft — boats
  9. last — finally
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. degree — temperature
  18. last — final
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lean — thin
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mark — to pay attention

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