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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: perch · lie · wax · row · nail · can · degree · capital

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. row — to paddle
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wax — to grow
  5. capital — money
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. row — a line
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. degree — an amount
  17. can — a tin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. can — a tin
  21. capital — a city
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. degree — from a university

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