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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: object · degree · content · game · wake · trunk · wax · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. object — an aim
  3. degree — temperature
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wake — a trail
  9. content — happy
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. object — a thing
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wax — to grow
  19. content — the amount
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. object — to protest

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