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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mate — a friend
  3. board — a committee
  4. net — in sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bank — of a river
  7. net — for catching
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bank — for money
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. degree — from a university
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bank — for money
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mate — a partner
  22. net — after costs
  23. degree — temperature
  24. board — to get on

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