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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 120 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 · ground · saw · stem · bound · spring · degree · craft

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stem — to come from
  5. spring — of water
  6. bound — tied together
  7. spring — the season
  8. degree — an amount
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bound — obliged
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — boats
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bound — certain
  24. craft — a skill

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