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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · stand · wind · degree · pitcher · can · wave · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stand — to bear
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. degree — temperature
  7. can — to be able to
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. can — a tin
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. degree — an amount
  13. wind — moving air
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wave — of the sea

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