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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: arm · stick · wake · plane · leaves · degree · content · swing

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. degree — from a university
  10. swing — music
  11. content — happy
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. content — the amount
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wake — a trail
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. plane — a tool
  24. leaves — lets stay

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