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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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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: squash · ruler · degree · shower · bass · dip · trunk · roll

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bass — the fish
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. shower — rain
  8. bass — low music
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. roll — a list
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. squash — the sport
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. degree — from a university
  17. squash — to crush
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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