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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: degree · lie · cap · arm · craft · bass · wind · bark

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lie — to recline
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wind — moving air
  7. degree — an amount
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wind — moving air
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bass — the fish
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bark — to shout
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. craft — boats
  24. bass — low music

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