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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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Word bank
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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ball — a great time
  3. kick — in football
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cue — a hint
  8. charge — electricity
  9. degree — from a university
  10. race — the arms race
  11. charge — a price
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. charge — in control
  17. degree — temperature
  18. race — humankind
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cue — a signal
  21. race — a contest
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cue — for pool
  24. degree — an amount

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