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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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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: degree · chest · charge · craft · row · wave · dip · ground

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chest — a box
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. craft — boats
  6. charge — a price
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. chest — of your body
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. row — to paddle
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. chest — of your body
  15. row — a line
  16. dip — to sink
  17. degree — an amount
  18. charge — electricity
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. charge — in control
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. craft — a skill
  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