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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: firm · chest · plane · deal · bulb · row · degree · track

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. deal — to handle
  7. row — a line
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. degree — temperature
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. firm — steady
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. degree — an amount
  21. firm — a company
  22. degree — from a university
  23. chest — of your body
  24. firm — decided

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