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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. track — a path
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mate — a partner
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. track — a song
  15. charge — a price
  16. degree — temperature
  17. charge — in control
  18. degree — an amount
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fan — a supporter

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