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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
468
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: degree · content · bay · rock · cell · fine · wax · mug

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mug — a face
  5. wax — to grow
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. degree — an amount
  9. fine — all right
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mug — to rob
  15. degree — temperature
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. mug — a cup
  22. content — the amount
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rock — 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