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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. last — finally
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lean — to bend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wax — to grow
  11. last — final
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. tube — a container
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lean — thin
  23. last — to go on
  24. calf — of the leg

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