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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 geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ball — a great time
  4. degree — from a university
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stock — goods
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. saw — the tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. degree — an amount
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. degree — temperature
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stock — shares

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