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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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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. staff — employees
  4. key — in music
  5. board — a committee
  6. staff — employees
  7. perch — the fish
  8. degree — temperature
  9. key — for a lock
  10. board — to get on
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. degree — from a university
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. season — of the year
  22. degree — an amount
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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