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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: degree · track · craft · sharp · wax · club · lie · bay

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. track — a path
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. club — for dancing
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. degree — temperature
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. club — for golf
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. craft — boats
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wax — to grow
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. degree — from a university
  24. club — a group

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