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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rule — a law
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wax — to grow
  6. degree — an amount
  7. tear — to rip
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rule — government
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. current — of water
  16. charge — in control
  17. current — electric
  18. charge — electricity
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. current — happening now
  23. charge — a price
  24. tear — from crying

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