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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: hand · season · plane · spell · craft · roll · degree · pass

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. season — in sport
  8. roll — a list
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. spell — magic
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. craft — boats
  17. spell — letters
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. degree — from a university
  20. spell — a short time
  21. season — of the year
  22. hand — help
  23. pass — a permit
  24. roll — a cake

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