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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. can — a tin
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. degree — temperature
  9. can — to be able to
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. land — to come down
  12. pop — music
  13. wake — a trail
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pop — to visit
  16. degree — an amount
  17. land — a country
  18. kid — child
  19. land — ground
  20. degree — from a university
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pop — soda
  24. kid — to tease

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