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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: spell · wax · drill · press · bound · degree · charge · squash

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. spell — letters
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. charge — electricity
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bound — certain
  9. drill — army training
  10. press — a publisher
  11. degree — an amount
  12. drill — the tool
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bound — obliged
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. bound — tied together
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. press — to push
  23. squash — to crush
  24. spell — magic

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