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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. toast — bread
  3. degree — temperature
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spell — letters
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. degree — from a university
  10. current — happening now
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a dance
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. current — of water
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. wax — to grow
  22. current — electric
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ball — a great time

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