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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: degree · wound · craft · tear · bulb · toast · pass · fan

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — for light
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. tear — to rip
  12. degree — from a university
  13. toast — bread
  14. craft — boats
  15. tear — from crying
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. tear — from crying
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. degree — an amount

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