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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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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: nail · degree · tube · trunk · dip · present · chest · ruler

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. degree — an amount
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chest — of your body
  15. present — a gift
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chest — of your body
  18. tube — a container
  19. present — the time now
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. chest — a box
  22. present — there
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. nail — for a hammer

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