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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · wax · degree · firm · bank · file · tube · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. firm — a company
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. file — a tool
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. firm — steady
  7. ground — a position
  8. wax — to grow
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. file — a line of people
  12. firm — decided
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. file — a document
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bank — for money
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. degree — an amount

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