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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. degree — an amount
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. season — of the year
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fine — high quality
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. season — in sport
  18. fine — all right
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. degree — temperature
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. degree — from a university

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