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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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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 · mark · bay · nail · snap · degree · stick · bear

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. snap — to click
  17. wax — to grow
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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