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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: cabinet · board · bound · wax · mate · stand · degree · bulb

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — a committee
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. board — to get on
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stand — on your feet

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