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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: wax · charge · rush · board · foot · bowl · chest · degree

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. charge — a price
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. charge — in control
  10. foot — a measure
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. board — to get on
  16. wax — to grow
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. chest — a box
  23. degree — from a university
  24. charge — electricity

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