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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 120 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: patient · wax · foot · straw · ruler · charge · bat · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bat — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. charge — in control
  9. degree — an amount
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. charge — a price
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. degree — from a university
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. foot — a measure

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