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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. degree — temperature
  5. net — in sport
  6. bass — the fish
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rush — hurry
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fall — the season
  13. net — after costs
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. net — for catching
  17. bass — low music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stem — to come from
  21. fall — to drop
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. hide — to keep secret

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