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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wax — to grow
  7. degree — from a university
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. branch — a division
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kid — child
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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