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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 my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. spell — magic
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. board — a committee
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spell — letters
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. plane — a tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — from a university
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. deal — to handle
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. hide — to keep secret

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