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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pit — a hole
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pass — a permit
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mark — a trace

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