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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bound — obliged
  5. current — of water
  6. bound — certain
  7. season — in sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. current — happening now
  13. season — of the year
  14. degree — an amount
  15. root — of a word
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stem — to come from
  21. root — the cause
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fall — to drop

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