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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. charge — in control
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. charge — electricity
  11. race — humankind
  12. rest — what's left
  13. squash — the sport
  14. craft — boats
  15. branch — a division
  16. rest — a break
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rest — what's left
  23. charge — a price
  24. branch — of a bank

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