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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: cabinet · leaves · bay · wax · dip · degree · arm · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — temperature
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. present — there
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. present — the time now
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wax — to grow
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. arm — a part of something

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