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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 124 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. present — a gift
  3. degree — from a university
  4. rule — government
  5. wax — to grow
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. present — the time now
  10. degree — an amount
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rush — hurry
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rule — a law
  24. present — there

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