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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. charge — electricity
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. drill — a practice
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. drill — army training
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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