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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. toast — bread
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. charge — a price
  7. bank — of a river
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. land — to come down
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — ground
  14. charge — in control
  15. rush — hurry
  16. land — a country
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hand — in cards
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. wax — to grow
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bank — for money

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