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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hand — in cards
  11. present — a gift
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. degree — an amount
  15. present — there
  16. lie — to recline
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. degree — temperature
  21. foot — a measure
  22. present — the time now
  23. hand — help
  24. lie — an untruth

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