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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: bass · roll · degree · last · can · stock · plane · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stock — goods
  3. last — finally
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bass — low music
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bass — the fish
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. last — to go on
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. roll — a list
  20. last — final
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. degree — from a university

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