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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. track — to keep track
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. degree — an amount
  18. track — a path
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. track — a song
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. degree — temperature

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