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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. roll — a list
  4. degree — from a university
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. plane — a tool
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rock — music
  10. lean — to bend
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. degree — temperature
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rock — a stone
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. lean — thin
  20. wax — to grow
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. prune — to trim

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