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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — an amount
  3. tube — a container
  4. firm — a company
  5. face — to confront
  6. degree — temperature
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. firm — steady
  14. face — to point toward
  15. wax — to grow
  16. prune — to trim
  17. face — part of the head
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. firm — decided
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fan — a supporter

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