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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. degree — temperature
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. band — a music group
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. present — the time now
  19. degree — from a university
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. present — there
  22. pop — soda
  23. band — a ring
  24. present — a gift

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