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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. snap — to click
  4. bass — the fish
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wax — to grow
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. present — a gift
  13. capital — a city
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bass — low music
  19. present — the time now
  20. degree — an amount
  21. present — there
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. vault — a safe

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