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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 · board · season · object · snap · track · perch

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — the fish
  5. track — to keep track
  6. snap — to click
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. object — to protest
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wax — to grow
  17. track — a song
  18. object — a thing
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. board — to get on
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. object — an aim
  23. track — a path
  24. season — in sport

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