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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.

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: spell · press · staff · craft · arm · degree · bear · wind

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. staff — employees
  4. spell — magic
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. press — newspapers
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. spell — a short time
  12. degree — an amount
  13. staff — employees
  14. degree — temperature
  15. spell — letters
  16. staff — a stick
  17. press — to push
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. degree — from a university

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