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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. board — a committee
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. board — to get on
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wax — to grow
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mark — a grade
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. degree — an amount
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mark — a trace
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wax — for sculpting

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