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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · mark · chip · mine · wax · degree · tube · arm

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mine — for digging
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chip — to eat
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chip — for betting
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. degree — an amount
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. degree — from a university

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