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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · degree · cell · lean · bear · fall

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cell — in biology
  3. craft — boats
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cell — a phone
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. lean — thin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fall — the season
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal

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