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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 · wax · rock · arm · can · lie · fork · bay

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. can — a tin
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rock — music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. degree — from a university
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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