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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 116 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pop — to visit
  3. root — the cause
  4. pop — soda
  5. degree — temperature
  6. board — to get on
  7. track — a path
  8. mate — to breed
  9. track — to keep track
  10. root — of a word
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fall — the season
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pop — music
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. track — a song
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mate — a friend
  23. board — a committee
  24. degree — an amount

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