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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · chair · nail · degree · saw · mate · bowl · wax

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lie — to recline
  21. degree — from a university
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wax — in the ear

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