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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. current — electric
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wake — a trail
  6. current — happening now
  7. degree — from a university
  8. current — of water
  9. degree — an amount
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ground — the earth
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ground — a position
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wax — to grow
  21. degree — temperature
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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