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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: suit · toast · saw · plane · game · degree · face · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. degree — temperature
  5. suit — clothes
  6. saw — the tool
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. degree — an amount
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. suit — to fit
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wind — moving air
  15. game — wild animals
  16. face — part of the head
  17. game — a match
  18. toast — bread
  19. degree — from a university
  20. suit — in cards
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. plane — a tool

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