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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. degree — temperature
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fine — high quality
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. present — the time now
  11. plane — a tool
  12. present — there
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. degree — from a university
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stand — to bear
  18. snap — to click
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fine — all right
  21. present — a gift
  22. row — a line
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. row — to paddle

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