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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. dip — to sink
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mark — a grade
  7. degree — an amount
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ground — crushed
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mark — a trace
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stem — to come from
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. degree — from a university
  23. ground — a position
  24. bulb — for light

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