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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. craft — boats
  3. present — a gift
  4. degree — from a university
  5. season — of the year
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rest — a break
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. perch — the fish
  13. present — there
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. craft — a skill
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wind — moving air
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rest — what's left
  21. present — the time now
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rest — what's left
  24. season — in sport

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