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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · plane · stand · fork · bowl · last · degree · saw

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. last — to go on
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. last — finally
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rush — hurry
  15. degree — temperature
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. last — final
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. degree — an amount
  24. plane — in geometry

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