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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: leaves · stem · swing · degree · plane · trunk · bowl · staff

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. swing — to play on
  4. staff — employees
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. degree — temperature
  11. swing — music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. degree — from a university
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. degree — an amount
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. staff — a stick
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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