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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: bat · arm · fan · bulb · degree · plane · mark · craft

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mark — a trace
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — a grade
  12. plane — a tool
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — from a university
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bulb — for light
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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