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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. swing — music
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. degree — an amount
  10. swing — to play on
  11. degree — temperature
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. object — an aim
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rule — a law
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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