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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: staff · plane · present · trunk · degree · bay · craft · tube

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. degree — an amount
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tube — the underground
  6. plane — a tool
  7. present — the time now
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tube — a container
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. degree — temperature
  18. craft — boats
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. degree — from a university
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. staff — employees
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. present — a gift

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