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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. staff — employees
  6. firm — steady
  7. staff — employees
  8. spring — a coil
  9. staff — a stick
  10. firm — decided
  11. degree — an amount
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. degree — from a university
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. firm — a company
  18. spring — of water
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. spring — the season

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