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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: toast · prune · fan · ruler · vault · degree · mug · wax

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. prune — to trim
  4. degree — an amount
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mug — a face
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. vault — a safe
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mug — a cup
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. degree — temperature
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. toast — bread
  23. mug — to rob
  24. prune — the fruit

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