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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fall — the season
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pit — in a race
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — for pool
  14. staff — employees
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fall — to drop
  18. degree — an amount
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cue — a signal
  21. staff — employees
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cue — a hint

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