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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.

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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: degree · patient · object · chip · snap · mouse · spring · wax

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spring — the season
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. spring — of water
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chip — for betting
  16. snap — to click
  17. spring — a coil
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. object — to protest
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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