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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. tube — a container
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. game — wild animals
  9. degree — temperature
  10. press — to push
  11. craft — a skill
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wound — an injury
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. staff — employees
  17. game — a match
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. degree — an amount
  21. staff — employees
  22. tube — the underground
  23. staff — a stick
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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