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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 · suit · foot · degree · rule · cell · coach · key

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rule — a law
  6. cell — in biology
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rule — government
  9. key — in music
  10. suit — clothes
  11. degree — from a university
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. key — for a lock
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. degree — temperature
  21. foot — a measure
  22. degree — an amount
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. suit — in cards

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