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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: kid · wax · mug · leaves · suit · degree · swing · pit

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. swing — to play on
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pit — in a race
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mug — a face
  14. swing — music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mug — to rob
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wax — to grow
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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