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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: degree · sharp · wax · mouse · bore · wake · dip · bat

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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