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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pop — to visit
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bank — for money
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rash — hasty
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bank — of a river
  16. charge — in control
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pop — soda
  20. rash — a series
  21. pop — music
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. coach — a trainer

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