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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: ground · stem · plane · cabinet · dip · wave · deal · degree

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stem — to come from
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. dip — to sink
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ground — a position
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. wave — of the sea

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