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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.

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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: degree · plane · current · chest · stand · can · row · wax

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stand — to bear
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wax — to grow
  5. degree — temperature
  6. row — to paddle
  7. can — a tin
  8. row — a line
  9. plane — a tool
  10. degree — from a university
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. can — a tin
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. current — electric
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chest — of your body
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chest — a box
  24. degree — an amount

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