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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 116 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: leaves · bear · craft · bass · board · lie · degree · dip

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. degree — temperature
  9. craft — a skill
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. board — a committee
  12. degree — from a university
  13. craft — boats
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — to recline
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. board — to get on

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