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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 124 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: board · safe · lie · degree · coach · bear · tear · craft

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. craft — a skill
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. degree — temperature
  20. tear — to rip
  21. board — to get on
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tear — from crying
  24. coach — a trainer

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