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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. toast — a drink to someone
  2. face — to confront
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. degree — from a university
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. degree — temperature
  8. toast — bread
  9. branch — a division
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. plane — a tool
  15. face — part of the head
  16. dip — to sink
  17. degree — an amount
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. pass — a permit
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. branch — of a tree
  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