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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. degree — temperature
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fine — high quality
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. root — of a word
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. row — a line
  17. fine — all right
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. root — the cause
  20. stem — to come from
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rush — hurry
  23. root — of a plant
  24. row — to paddle

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