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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: season · plane · pass · shower · stick · degree · trunk · mark

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. degree — from a university
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mark — a trace
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. plane — a tool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. shower — to wash
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. degree — temperature
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. season — of the year

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