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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. march — music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. degree — an amount
  11. charge — a price
  12. key — for a lock
  13. march — the month
  14. charge — in control
  15. wax — to grow
  16. march — the month
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mate — a partner
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wound — an injury
  22. charge — electricity
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mate — to breed

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