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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 120 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. spell — letters
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. spell — a short time
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. degree — temperature
  9. root — of a word
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. root — the cause
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spell — magic
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rash — hasty
  24. degree — from a university

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