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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: can · mark · degree · plane · face · row · foot · mug

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — a trace
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. row — a line
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mark — a grade
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. face — to confront
  11. can — to be able to
  12. row — to paddle
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mug — a cup
  15. degree — from a university
  16. face — part of the head
  17. degree — temperature
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. plane — a tool
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. degree — an amount

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