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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 116 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: dip · spell · deal · wound · craft · key · mine · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. degree — temperature
  5. key — for a lock
  6. deal — to handle
  7. craft — a skill
  8. spell — magic
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. key — in music
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. spell — letters
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. spell — a short time
  20. degree — an amount
  21. key — the most important part
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. dip — to sink

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