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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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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: cell · plane · safe · ground · wake · degree

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cell — in biology
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wake — a trail
  7. degree — from a university
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cell — a phone
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ground — the earth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. plane — a tool

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