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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: degree · wave · prune · temple · hand · row · can · board

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. degree — from a university
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. degree — temperature
  7. row — a line
  8. can — a tin
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. board — to get on
  12. can — to be able to
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hand — help
  15. degree — an amount
  16. can — a tin
  17. hand — in cards
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. board — a committee

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