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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bank — for money
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. degree — temperature
  6. track — a song
  7. bank — of a river
  8. root — of a word
  9. degree — an amount
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. root — the cause
  12. degree — from a university
  13. root — of a plant
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — a path
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mug — a face
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mug — a cup

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