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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.

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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: lash · degree · board · object · plane · bark · spring · season

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. degree — an amount
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. spring — a coil
  5. degree — from a university
  6. object — a thing
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spring — of water
  9. season — of the year
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. season — in sport
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. degree — temperature
  19. spring — the season
  20. object — to protest
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. object — an aim
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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