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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. wax — to grow
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bore — to tire
  13. tear — to rip
  14. fall — to drop
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fall — the season
  24. dip — to dunk

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