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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: bank · dip · plane · toast · rock · degree · cell · craft

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cell — a phone
  9. craft — boats
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. degree — an amount
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rock — music
  16. bank — for money
  17. degree — from a university
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bank — for money
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. degree — temperature

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