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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. wake — a trail
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. net — for catching
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wax — to grow
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. degree — temperature
  9. net — in sport
  10. suit — to fit
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. degree — an amount
  14. land — to come down
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. land — ground
  17. suit — in cards
  18. land — a country
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. net — after costs
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. leaves — to go away

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