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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 English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — a series
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spell — a short time
  6. key — for a lock
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. degree — an amount
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. scale — size or range
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. degree — temperature
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. key — in music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. key — the most important part
  21. spell — letters
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rash — hasty
  24. spell — magic

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