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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.

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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 geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. object — a thing
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. march — the month
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. march — music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mug — to rob
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. degree — an amount
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ground — crushed
  16. branch — a division
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mug — a face
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. plane — a tool
  21. object — an aim
  22. mug — a cup
  23. object — to protest
  24. march — the month

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