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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: roll · wax · ruler · pitcher · cabinet · fall · degree · clip

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fall — to drop
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wax — to grow
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fall — the season
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. degree — an amount
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. ruler — for measuring

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