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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. plane — a tool
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rest — what's left
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — the fish
  9. staff — employees
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. snap — to click
  17. bass — low music
  18. rest — a break
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — from a university
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wake — a trail
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wake — before a funeral

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