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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.

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: cabinet · wax · mark · present · board · degree · trunk · file

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. present — there
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. file — a document
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. board — a committee
  7. present — a gift
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. degree — temperature
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. present — the time now
  14. wax — to grow
  15. degree — from a university
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. file — a line of people
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. file — a tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mark — a grade
  22. degree — an amount
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. board — to get on

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