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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. degree — temperature
  4. staff — employees
  5. can — a tin
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wax — to grow
  13. fall — the season
  14. degree — from a university
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. can — a tin
  19. rest — a break
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rest — what's left
  24. degree — an amount

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