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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 116 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — a lid
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cap — of ice
  8. land — to come down
  9. object — an aim
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wax — to grow
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. land — a country
  18. degree — temperature
  19. object — a thing
  20. can — to be able to
  21. object — to protest
  22. degree — from a university
  23. can — a tin
  24. land — ground

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