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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. degree — temperature
  11. hand — help
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hand — in cards
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rush — to hurry

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