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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: degree · wake · swing · hide · prune · cabinet · board · fan

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. degree — an amount
  7. swing — to play on
  8. board — to get on
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. swing — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. prune — to trim
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — a committee
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hide — animal skin

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