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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: safe · hide · degree · arm · tear · season · craft · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. degree — from a university
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. degree — temperature
  8. craft — boats
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. tear — to rip
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. season — in sport
  15. lean — to bend
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. craft — a skill
  20. season — of the year
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. safe — out of danger

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