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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
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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 · bound · ruler · wave · wax · toast · chest · plane

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bound — tied together
  5. chest — a box
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. degree — an amount
  8. wax — to grow
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. chest — of your body
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bound — certain
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. toast — bread

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