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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: degree · band · mark · lie · craft · sharp · straw · dip

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a ring
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lie — to recline
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. band — a music group
  10. degree — temperature
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. sharp — clever
  14. degree — from a university
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mark — a trace
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. straw — a straw man

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