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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mug — to rob
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. present — a gift
  7. root — of a word
  8. mug — a cup
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. root — the cause
  11. mug — a face
  12. present — there
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. snap — to click
  17. present — the time now
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. bass — low music
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bass — the fish

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