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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mug — a face
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. content — the amount
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. content — happy
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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