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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mark — a grade
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mark — a trace
  9. row — a line
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wake — a trail
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fall — the season
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. row — a quarrel

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