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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · prune · shower · degree · arm · straw · nail · track

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. degree — temperature
  3. object — an aim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. track — a song
  10. prune — to trim
  11. degree — from a university
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. object — to protest
  15. shower — to wash
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. degree — an amount
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. object — a thing
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. shower — rain

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