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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
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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 · deal · lie · spell · mug · wake · ruler · degree

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lie — to recline
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. deal — to handle
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mug — a cup
  12. degree — an amount
  13. craft — boats
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spell — letters
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mug — a face
  18. wake — a trail
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. degree — temperature

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