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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rest — a break
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rock — music
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. craft — boats
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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