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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. season — in sport
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. date — the fruit
  11. race — humankind
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. race — a contest
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. degree — an amount
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. season — of the year
  21. branch — a division
  22. present — there
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. race — the arms race

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