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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 · dip · scale · roll · press · prune · degree · spell

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spell — a short time
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. degree — from a university
  7. prune — to trim
  8. spell — letters
  9. press — newspapers
  10. roll — a list
  11. spell — magic
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. press — a publisher
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. degree — an amount
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. scale — in music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. scale — size or range
  23. plane — a tool
  24. degree — temperature

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