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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.

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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: kid · fall · present · rash · nail · plane · prune · degree

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. present — the time now
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fall — to drop
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. degree — from a university
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. kid — child
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. kid — to tease
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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