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

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. object — an aim
  3. spell — letters
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. spell — a short time
  6. degree — from a university
  7. spell — magic
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stem — to come from
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. object — a thing
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. object — to protest
  18. wound — an injury

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