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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 120 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. present — there
  9. land — to come down
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. key — the most important part
  12. land — ground
  13. present — a gift
  14. key — in music
  15. present — the time now
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stand — to bear
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. band — a ring
  21. key — for a lock
  22. band — a music group
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. land — a country

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