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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: hide · wax · mark · stick · last · land · cue · degree

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. last — to go on
  5. wax — to grow
  6. degree — temperature
  7. land — to come down
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cue — a signal
  11. last — final
  12. land — ground
  13. degree — an amount
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. land — a country
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. last — finally
  24. cue — a hint

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