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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · dip · degree · straw · ruler · mug · spring · wax

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mug — a face
  3. cap — of ice
  4. degree — temperature
  5. spring — a coil
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cap — a hat
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cap — a lid
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. dip — to sink
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. spring — the season
  19. degree — an amount
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wax — to grow

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