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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cap — of ice
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. foot — a measure
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cap — a lid
  12. capital — a city
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cap — a hat
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. capital — money
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bay — a horse colour

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