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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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. tube — a container
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fall — the season
  6. rest — a break
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rest — what's left
  9. degree — from a university
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wound — an injury
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. squash — to crush
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tube — the underground
  24. squash — the sport

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