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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: degree · suit · file · key · plane · stem · content · tear

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. tear — to rip
  3. key — the most important part
  4. suit — in cards
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. tear — from crying
  8. degree — from a university
  9. plane — a tool
  10. file — a tool
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. content — happy
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. key — in music
  16. suit — to fit
  17. content — the amount
  18. key — for a lock
  19. suit — clothes
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. degree — an amount
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stem — to come from

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