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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.

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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. firm — decided
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. firm — a company
  8. perch — the fish
  9. chip — for betting
  10. firm — steady
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. root — of a plant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. root — of a word
  19. chip — to eat
  20. root — the cause
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wax — to grow

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