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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.

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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: plane · perch · swing · degree · wax · object · deal · temple

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. degree — from a university
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. object — to protest
  13. swing — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. swing — to play on
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. swing — in golf
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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