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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fine — high quality
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fine — all right
  7. spring — a coil
  8. degree — an amount
  9. plane — a tool
  10. spring — of water
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. degree — temperature
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. branch — a division
  17. spring — the season
  18. degree — from a university
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — a penalty

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