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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 · lean · race · craft · nail · tube · spring · chair

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. race — a contest
  3. craft — a skill
  4. tube — the underground
  5. spring — of water
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. craft — boats
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. race — the arms race
  11. tube — a container
  12. degree — temperature
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. race — humankind
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lean — thin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. chair — a leader
  20. spring — the season
  21. degree — an amount
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lean — to bend
  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