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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.

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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: fork · degree · temple · plane · suit · key · leaves · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fork — in a road
  3. key — the most important part
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. degree — an amount
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. degree — from a university
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fall — to drop
  13. key — for a lock
  14. plane — a tool
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. degree — temperature
  17. suit — in cards
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. suit — to fit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. key — in music
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fall — to drop

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