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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. wind — moving air
  3. key — the most important part
  4. degree — from a university
  5. key — in music
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. board — a committee
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — an amount
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wind — moving air
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. board — to get on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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