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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: wax · tube · mouse · fan · straw · firm · fine · degree

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. firm — steady
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fine — all right
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fine — high quality
  23. tube — the underground
  24. straw — dry grass

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