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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: wax · wave · club · bear · squash · lie · degree · pit

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. degree — an amount
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pit — in a race
  21. club — a group
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. degree — from a university

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