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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: suit · row · fall · root · degree · bulb · mine · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. degree — an amount
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. degree — from a university
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fall — the season
  16. root — of a plant
  17. degree — temperature
  18. object — to protest
  19. row — a line
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a word
  22. object — an aim
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fall — to drop

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