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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 120 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: object · trunk · degree · wave · craft · bank · present · content

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. object — to protest
  3. present — there
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. degree — temperature
  6. craft — boats
  7. present — a gift
  8. content — happy
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bank — for money
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bank — for money
  13. object — an aim
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. craft — a skill
  20. object — a thing
  21. bank — of a river
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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