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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. degree — an amount
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bank — for money
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. key — the most important part
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. key — in music
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bank — for money

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