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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 · kid · band · mine · jam · safe · tube · degree

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — a container
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. band — a music group
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. band — a ring
  9. tube — the underground
  10. kid — child
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. degree — an amount
  22. kid — to tease
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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