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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rule · board · spell · season · arm · craft · degree · calf

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. spell — letters
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rule — a law
  5. degree — temperature
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. season — of the year
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. degree — from a university
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — in sport
  13. craft — boats
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rule — government
  17. spell — magic
  18. board — to get on
  19. spell — a short time
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. degree — an amount
  22. board — a committee
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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