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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: wax · degree · row · chest · squash · temple · pop · charge

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. degree — from a university
  3. charge — in control
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pop — to visit
  6. chest — a box
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. degree — temperature
  9. charge — electricity
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. chest — of your body
  13. degree — an amount
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chest — of your body
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pop — music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. charge — a price

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