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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 116 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. suit — in cards
  5. degree — temperature
  6. march — music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. march — the month
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cold — an illness
  14. wound — an injury
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. deal — to handle
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wound — an injury
  19. suit — clothes
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. march — the month
  23. craft — boats
  24. cold — not warm

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