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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 · band · firm · degree · mug · rock · lie · club

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mug — to rob
  3. band — a music group
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wax — to grow
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. firm — steady
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rock — a stone
  12. firm — a company
  13. lie — to recline
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. band — a ring
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. firm — decided
  19. rock — music
  20. club — a group
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. degree — temperature
  24. club — for golf

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