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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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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: degree · object · bowl · rash · plane · wave · tear · stand

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rash — a series
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. degree — an amount
  10. tear — from crying
  11. degree — from a university
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stand — to bear
  20. object — an aim
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rash — on the skin

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