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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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. degree — from a university
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rash — hasty
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wax — to grow
  8. degree — temperature
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. key — in music
  11. board — to get on
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. board — a committee
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rash — a series
  22. snap — to click
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. hide — to keep secret

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