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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: suit · degree · pound · craft · saw · mark · lie · shower

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mark — a trace
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. shower — rain
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mark — a grade
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lie — to recline
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. degree — from a university
  21. craft — boats
  22. degree — temperature
  23. saw — the tool
  24. degree — an amount

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