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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. tube — a container
  2. drill — a practice
  3. branch — a division
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. foot — a measure
  6. degree — temperature
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. drill — army training
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. plane — a tool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — an amount
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. drill — the tool
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tube — the underground
  23. degree — from a university
  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