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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. degree — an amount
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mug — a cup
  10. degree — from a university
  11. shower — rain
  12. stem — to come from
  13. row — a line
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. degree — temperature

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