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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: jam · row · degree · wake · plane · cabinet · root · foot

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. degree — from a university
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. foot — a measure
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. root — of a word
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. wake — before a funeral

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