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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cell — a phone
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cell — in biology
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rock — music
  21. dip — to sink
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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