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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lean — to bend
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. file — a line of people
  7. plane — a tool
  8. key — in music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. file — a document
  11. degree — an amount
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. key — the most important part
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lean — thin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. degree — from a university
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. key — for a lock
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. foot — a measure
  24. file — a tool

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