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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 124 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. degree — an amount
  3. suit — clothes
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. shower — rain
  10. suit — in cards
  11. shower — to wash
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. plane — a tool
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. bank — of a river
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bank — for money
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bank — for money

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