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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 120 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: march · sharp · leaves · plane · key · last · degree · stick

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. sharp — clever
  4. key — for a lock
  5. degree — temperature
  6. last — finally
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. march — the month
  10. key — the most important part
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. plane — a tool
  15. march — the month
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. march — music
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. last — to go on
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. key — in music
  24. last — final

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