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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. march — the month
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. march — music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wind — moving air
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. kick — in football
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wind — moving air
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. degree — temperature
  22. march — the month
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. degree — an amount

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