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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: firm · board · trunk · degree · wax · perch · rush · wave

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. board — to get on
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. firm — steady
  7. degree — from a university
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. degree — temperature
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wax — to grow
  19. firm — decided
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. board — a committee
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. firm — a company

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