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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. object — an aim
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stem — to come from
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. degree — from a university
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. snap — to click
  22. deal — to handle
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stem — a stem cell

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