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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: toast · cell · plane · mark · temple · degree · stem · mug

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. plane — a tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. degree — temperature
  13. toast — bread
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mug — a face
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cell — in biology
  24. degree — from a university

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