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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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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: present · can · ball · straw · wax · trunk · board · degree

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. degree — from a university
  5. board — a committee
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wax — to grow
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. board — to get on
  14. ball — a great time
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a dance
  17. present — a gift
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. present — there
  21. can — a tin
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wax — for sculpting

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