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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.

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: degree · craft · bulb · cabinet · ruler · chest · lie · dip

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lie — to recline
  5. dip — to sink
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. degree — an amount
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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