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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: plane · snap · degree · mug · rash · rest · tube · lie

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tube — the underground
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mug — a face
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rash — hasty
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rash — a series
  23. tube — a container
  24. snap — to click

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