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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wax — to grow
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. degree — from a university
  9. tear — from crying
  10. suit — in cards
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. suit — clothes
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. degree — an amount
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pit — a hole
  18. tear — from crying
  19. net — after costs
  20. pit — in a race
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. suit — to fit
  24. degree — temperature

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