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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wax — to grow
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. can — a tin
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stand — to bear
  13. can — to be able to
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fall — the season
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fall — to drop

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