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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 116 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: stick · degree · bass · march · lie · plane · fine · dip

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. march — the month
  3. bass — the fish
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — a tool
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fine — high quality
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. degree — from a university
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. lie — to recline
  20. march — music
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fine — all right
  24. bass — low music

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