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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. kick — in football
  3. bound — certain
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. key — for a lock
  12. field — farmland
  13. degree — an amount
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bound — obliged
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. field — for sport
  19. bound — tied together
  20. field — a subject
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. degree — temperature
  23. key — in music
  24. wax — for sculpting

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