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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. degree — temperature
  3. tube — a container
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. degree — an amount
  10. branch — a division
  11. last — final
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — from a university
  18. last — to go on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — to wash
  21. last — finally
  22. tube — the underground
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. tube — in a tire

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