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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. degree — temperature
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rest — a break
  10. degree — from a university
  11. kick — in football
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stand — to bear
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fall — the season
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mark — to pay attention

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