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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
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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: fan · bark · bowl · saw · stem · degree · plane · key

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — to shout
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. key — in music
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stem — to come from
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bowl — a football final

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