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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. race — the arms race
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. race — humankind
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. roll — a list
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pass — a permit
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. degree — from a university
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. roll — a cake
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. spring — of water
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. race — a contest
  21. drill — the tool
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. drill — army training

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