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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
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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: degree · key · lean · snap · trunk · wax · chair · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. snap — to click
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chair — a leader
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lean — to bend
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. degree — temperature
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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