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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · nail · pitch · branch · last · lash · degree · key

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. key — in music
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitch — completely
  8. degree — an amount
  9. key — the most important part
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. last — finally
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. branch — a division
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wax — to grow
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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