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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.

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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: kick · arm · date · wax · tear · ruler · tube · degree

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. degree — from a university
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. degree — temperature
  13. kick — in football
  14. tear — from crying
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wax — to grow
  18. tube — a container
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tear — to rip
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. degree — an amount

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