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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: leaves · roll · nail · plane · present · bark · bear · degree

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. present — the time now
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bark — to shout
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. roll — a list
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. roll — a cake
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. present — there
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. roll — on a roll

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