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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.

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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. staff — employees
  3. degree — temperature
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wax — to grow
  7. shower — rain
  8. degree — an amount
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lie — to recline
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — from a university
  24. staff — employees

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