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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 116 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: leaves · fan · plane · kick · band · mark · craft · degree

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. craft — boats
  4. kick — in football
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mark — a trace
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. band — a ring
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. degree — an amount
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mark — a grade
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. band — a music group

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