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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 120 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: leaves · prune · suit · degree · plane · face · deal · wax

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wax — to grow
  4. deal — to handle
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. face — to confront
  8. degree — from a university
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. face — part of the head
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. degree — an amount
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. suit — clothes
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. suit — in cards
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. prune — to trim

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