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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bank — for money
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bank — for money
  10. craft — a skill
  11. current — electric
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. degree — temperature
  14. current — of water
  15. craft — boats
  16. rush — hurry
  17. current — happening now
  18. club — for golf
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. club — a group

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