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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. object — a thing
  3. degree — temperature
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tube — the underground
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. prune — to trim
  12. object — to protest
  13. scale — in music
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wax — to grow
  16. object — an aim
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. row — a line
  19. degree — an amount
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. tube — a container
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. leaves — lets stay

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