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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. track — a song
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. degree — an amount
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. track — a path
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pass — a permit
  15. present — a gift
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. degree — temperature
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lean — thin
  21. track — to keep track
  22. present — there
  23. vault — a safe
  24. present — the time now

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