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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: straw · drill · wax · racket · degree · rest · press · safe

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rest — a break
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. degree — from a university
  9. press — a publisher
  10. drill — a practice
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. press — to push
  20. drill — army training
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. degree — an amount
  23. wax — to grow
  24. racket — for tennis

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