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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 116 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: lie · wax · fan · pitch · rule · bound · saw · degree

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rule — government
  8. wax — to grow
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bound — obliged
  16. degree — an amount
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bound — certain
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lie — to recline

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