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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. degree — from a university
  4. fall — the season
  5. root — of a plant
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. wax — to grow
  10. degree — temperature
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. root — of a word
  14. degree — an amount
  15. root — the cause
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. leaves — lets stay

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