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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. race — a contest
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mate — to breed
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wax — to grow
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. can — a tin
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mate — a friend
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mate — a partner
  19. race — humankind
  20. can — a tin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pass — a permit

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