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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. march — music
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wax — to grow
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. march — the month
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. march — the month
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bound — obliged

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