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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 · degree · dip · season · jam · safe · fall · saw

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fall — to drop
  16. degree — temperature
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. dip — to sink
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. safe — a strongbox

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