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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 120 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: firm · board · degree · hide · wax · kid · mark · charge

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. charge — in control
  3. kid — to tease
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. charge — electricity
  8. firm — steady
  9. board — a committee
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. board — to get on
  12. degree — from a university
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. charge — a price
  15. wax — to grow
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kid — child
  18. firm — decided
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. firm — a company
  22. mark — a trace
  23. degree — temperature
  24. wax — in the ear

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