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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bank — for money
  6. staff — employees
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stand — to bear
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. staff — employees
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. bank — of a river
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bank — for money
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. degree — temperature

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