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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. object — to protest
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. net — for catching
  6. object — an aim
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. net — after costs
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. object — a thing
  22. bore — to tire
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. net — in sport

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