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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: net · bulb · press · shower · fork · wave · degree · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. press — newspapers
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. press — a publisher
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. degree — temperature
  12. net — after costs
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. net — in sport
  16. degree — an amount
  17. shower — rain
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bulb — for light
  23. net — for catching
  24. press — to push

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