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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. root — the cause
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bear — the animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mark — a grade
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. degree — from a university
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. deal — to handle
  15. season — of the year
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. root — of a word
  18. plane — a tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mark — a trace

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