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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. degree — temperature
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fall — to drop
  5. degree — from a university
  6. object — a thing
  7. fall — the season
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rash — a series
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rash — hasty
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. craft — boats
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wound — an injury
  21. degree — an amount
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wound — an injury
  24. craft — a handicraft

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