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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: pitcher · key · board · lean · wax · degree · season · lie

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. board — to get on
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. key — in music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. degree — temperature
  12. lean — to bend
  13. board — a committee
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wax — to grow
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. board — a flat piece

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