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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.

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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: lie · nail · degree · roll · cap · wake · craft · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. degree — temperature
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cap — a hat
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. degree — an amount
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. degree — from a university
  18. craft — boats
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bass — the fish

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