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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. ground — the earth
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bass — low music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. degree — from a university
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. plane — a tool
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cap — a lid
  17. staff — employees
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fall — the season
  20. ground — a position
  21. bass — the fish
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. ground — crushed

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