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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. degree — temperature
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. degree — an amount
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. craft — boats
  9. lie — to recline
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. degree — from a university
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. row — a line
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lean — thin
  23. craft — a skill
  24. current — happening now

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