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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: ruler · bass · degree · craft · stand · tear · bulb · straw

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. degree — from a university
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. tear — from crying
  14. craft — boats
  15. bass — low music
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. degree — an amount
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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