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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: tear · ball · degree · sharp · rule · bay · mark · wax

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. ball — a dance
  3. tear — to rip
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wax — to grow
  6. degree — temperature
  7. tear — from crying
  8. degree — an amount
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rule — government
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rule — a law
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. degree — from a university

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