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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. firm — decided
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fall — to drop
  8. firm — steady
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. degree — temperature
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wax — to grow
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. firm — a company

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