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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 120 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: hand · wax · pitcher · mouse · current · fall · dip · degree

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. degree — temperature
  5. hand — help
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wax — to grow
  9. degree — an amount
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. degree — from a university
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. current — of water
  19. fall — the season
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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