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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. degree — temperature
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. craft — a skill
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. drill — a practice
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mine — for digging
  11. craft — boats
  12. degree — an amount
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. drill — the tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. drill — army training
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. degree — from a university

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