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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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 — to grow
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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