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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. key — in music
  3. degree — temperature
  4. key — for a lock
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a ring
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. can — to be able to
  17. band — a music group
  18. key — the most important part
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. snap — to click
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. band — a rubber band

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