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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fall — the season
  8. degree — an amount
  9. charge — in control
  10. net — in sport
  11. wax — to grow
  12. net — for catching
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. degree — from a university
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fall — to drop
  20. charge — a price
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — after costs
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wax — in the ear

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