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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. plane — a tool
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. file — a tool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. object — a thing
  15. file — a document
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. degree — temperature
  20. foot — a measure
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. file — a line of people
  24. nail — on a finger

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