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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rock — a stone
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rash — a series
  12. rock — music
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. face — part of the head
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. degree — an amount

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