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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 · bay · season · degree · mine · pass · plane · bowl

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pass — a permit
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. season — in sport
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mine — for digging
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — an amount

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