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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 · ruler · craft · season · straw · bore · toast · chest

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. toast — bread
  3. bore — to tire
  4. degree — from a university
  5. chest — a box
  6. craft — a skill
  7. degree — an amount
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. chest — of your body
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bore — to drill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. season — in sport
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. degree — temperature
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chest — of your body
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. craft — boats
  24. season — of the year

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