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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. dip — to sink
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mate — to breed
  5. board — a committee
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. branch — a division
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mate — a friend
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mate — a partner
  18. degree — from a university
  19. deal — to handle
  20. board — to get on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. plane — a tool
  24. branch — of a tree

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