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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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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: bay · wax · degree · can · kick · last · pound · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. last — finally
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. last — to go on
  8. degree — temperature
  9. can — a tin
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. last — final
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pound — a weight
  17. kick — in football
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — to grow
  24. degree — from a university

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