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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: fan · rock · temple · pitcher · wax · degree · mate · nail

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rock — music
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. degree — from a university
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitcher — a jug

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