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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 116 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
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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: can · degree · court · bark · wax · snap · file · key

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. court — of law
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bark — to shout
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. degree — from a university
  10. file — a document
  11. snap — to click
  12. file — a tool
  13. court — for sport
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. court — of a king
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wax — to grow
  21. degree — an amount
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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