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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: sharp · arm · degree · board · temple · file · root · plane

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. plane — a tool
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. sharp — clever
  6. degree — temperature
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. file — a tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. root — of a word
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. root — of a plant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. degree — an amount
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. root — the cause
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. degree — from a university
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. file — a line of people
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. file — a document

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