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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: mouse · trunk · craft · hand · nail · degree · can · wave

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. hand — help
  9. degree — an amount
  10. craft — boats
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. can — a tin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. can — a tin
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — in cards
  24. craft — a handicraft

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