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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mug — a face
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cap — a hat
  8. craft — boats
  9. cap — a lid
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bank — for money
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bank — for money
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cap — of ice
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. foot — a measure
  24. craft — a skill

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