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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
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: swing · degree · foot · wax · temple · can · patient · track

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wax — to grow
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. track — to keep track
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. foot — a measure
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — in golf
  13. track — a song
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. track — a path
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. swing — music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. degree — from a university
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. can — to be able to
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. degree — an amount

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