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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: net · plane · trunk · degree · stick · hide · bank · bore

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. degree — an amount
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bank — for money
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — for catching
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bank — for money
  18. net — in sport
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bore — to tire
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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