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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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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: pound · foot · toast · ruler · plane · degree · snap · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. degree — an amount
  5. snap — to click
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pound — a weight
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. degree — temperature
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. degree — from a university
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. toast — bread

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