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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bass — low music
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pass — a permit

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