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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: degree · key · mouse · court · hide · clip · trunk · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. court — of a king
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. clip — for paper
  5. degree — an amount
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. key — in music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. court — of law
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. clip — a video
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. court — for sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. clip — to cut

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