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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 · trunk · fine · lie · branch · swing · craft · object

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fine — all right
  4. object — to protest
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. object — a thing
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — a division
  19. fine — high quality
  20. swing — in golf
  21. object — an aim
  22. degree — from a university
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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