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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 116 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. degree — temperature
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. last — to go on
  9. dip — to sink
  10. last — final
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. can — to be able to
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. plane — a tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fall — to drop
  20. last — finally
  21. fall — the season
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. dip — to dunk

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