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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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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: lie · race · swing · press · degree · wave · wax · bore

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. degree — temperature
  3. press — newspapers
  4. race — a contest
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. race — humankind
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. press — a publisher
  16. swing — in golf
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. press — to push
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bore — to drill
  23. degree — an amount
  24. swing — music

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