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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: mate · craft · spell · wave · track · nail · perch · degree

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. degree — temperature
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. degree — an amount
  10. track — a song
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. craft — a skill
  16. track — a path
  17. degree — from a university
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. track — to keep track
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. spell — magic
  23. craft — boats
  24. mate — to breed

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