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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wax — to grow
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mark — a grade
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. can — a tin
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. can — a tin
  16. degree — an amount
  17. firm — steady
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mark — a trace
  23. degree — temperature
  24. kid — to tease

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