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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · cue · straw · cell · plane · stick

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. degree — temperature
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. degree — from a university
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cue — a hint
  13. degree — an amount
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cue — for pool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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