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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. degree — temperature
  3. plane — a tool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. degree — from a university
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fall — the season
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. leaves — to go away

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