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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: race · degree · scale · squash · wave · bulb · lean · craft

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. craft — boats
  3. bulb — for light
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lean — thin
  14. race — a contest
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. scale — size or range
  18. degree — an amount
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bulb — for light
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. race — humankind
  23. squash — the sport
  24. craft — a skill

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