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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.

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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: pass · kid · safe · branch · cabinet · dip · degree · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. branch — a division
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — to grow
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. degree — from a university
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. degree — an amount
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pass — a permit
  24. branch — of a tree

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