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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lean — to bend
  7. charge — electricity
  8. degree — from a university
  9. lean — thin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. track — a song
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. track — to keep track
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. charge — a price
  19. degree — an amount
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. charge — in control
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pit — a hole
  24. nail — for a hammer

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