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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
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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: last · mate · cabinet · pass · leaves · wax · foot · degree

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mate — a friend
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. last — final
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. last — finally
  24. mate — a partner

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