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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: chair · tube · degree · season · plane · cabinet · craft · snap

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. degree — temperature
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. tube — the underground
  7. snap — to click
  8. degree — an amount
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. season — in sport
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. plane — a tool
  20. tube — a container
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. degree — from a university
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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