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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 116 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: stand · degree · bark · stem · wax · vault · ball · wave

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. ball — a dance
  23. degree — from a university
  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