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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: bear · degree · jam · saw · wave · track · shower · craft

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. track — a path
  14. craft — boats
  15. shower — to wash
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. saw — the tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. saw — the tool
  24. shower — rain

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