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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fall — to drop
  4. can — a tin
  5. wax — to grow
  6. degree — an amount
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — a tin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fall — the season
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. can — to be able to
  24. coach — a trainer

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