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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.

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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: lie · degree · pass · wax · cap · key · pitch · tube

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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 — to grow
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cap — a hat
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. tube — a container
  19. lie — to recline
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pitch — completely
  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