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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · content · wax · charge · straw · degree

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. content — happy
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wax — to grow
  9. degree — from a university
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. charge — a price
  13. degree — temperature
  14. charge — in control
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. degree — an amount
  17. charge — electricity
  18. content — the amount

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