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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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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 · wave · rule · degree · perch · chest · deal · bore

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. degree — an amount
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. deal — to handle
  7. chest — a box
  8. degree — temperature
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rule — a law
  13. chest — of your body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bore — to drill
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. degree — from a university
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. craft — boats
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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