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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. can — to be able to
  4. degree — an amount
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. degree — temperature
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mate — to breed
  11. degree — from a university
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mate — a partner
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wax — to grow
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. lean — thin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lean — to bend
  24. foot — a measure

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