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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. face — to confront
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pit — a hole
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pit — in a race
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. face — part of the head

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