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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · scale · hide · lean · key · net · fan · degree

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. net — for catching
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. degree — from a university
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lean — thin
  12. degree — temperature
  13. staff — employees
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — a stick
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. degree — an amount
  23. staff — employees
  24. lean — to rest against

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