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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 120 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
468
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: cabinet · wax · safe · degree · charge · stand · straw · current

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. stand — to bear
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. charge — a price
  7. degree — from a university
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. charge — in control
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. current — electric
  16. charge — electricity
  17. current — happening now
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — of water
  20. degree — temperature
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. straw — a straw man

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