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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: wax · bore · bass · nail · chair · degree · fine · foot

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fine — all right
  10. bass — the fish
  11. foot — a measure
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bore — to drill
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bore — to tire
  20. degree — an amount
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bass — low music

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