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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
468
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: rule · wave · wax · cabinet · roll · hide · degree · date

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. date — the fruit
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rule — a law
  11. degree — temperature
  12. roll — a cake
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wax — to grow
  15. roll — a list
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rule — government
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. degree — an amount
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. date — on the calendar

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