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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: wax · current · stand · fall · degree · ball · cabinet · tube

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. degree — an amount
  8. current — electric
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ball — a great time
  11. degree — from a university
  12. tube — a container
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. current — of water
  16. degree — temperature
  17. current — happening now
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tube — the underground

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