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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 my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. degree — from a university
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fork — in a road
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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