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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: season · wake · board · degree · wound · plane · lie · arm

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. degree — an amount
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lie — to recline
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. season — of the year
  8. wound — an injury
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. plane — a tool
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. board — a committee
  17. season — in sport
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. degree — from a university
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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