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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.

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: rock · march · mouse · saw · degree · wax · snap · stem

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. saw — the tool
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rock — music
  11. degree — from a university
  12. march — the month
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. degree — an amount
  16. march — the month
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. march — music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mouse — the animal

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