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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. stem — to come from
  3. spell — magic
  4. bear — the animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cue — for pool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. spell — letters
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — music
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bear — the animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. degree — temperature
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cue — a hint
  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