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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.

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: plane · scale · degree · present · fan · lie · trunk · safe

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. present — the time now
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. degree — an amount
  9. lie — to recline
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. scale — in music
  13. present — a gift
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. degree — temperature
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — from a university
  19. scale — size or range
  20. present — there
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fan — to cool the air

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