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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: craft · content · rush · wax · bound · degree · bowl · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wax — to grow
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. degree — an amount
  11. content — happy
  12. bound — certain
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. content — the amount
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. craft — boats

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