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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 120 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. land — ground
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. object — to protest
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. land — to come down
  11. degree — temperature
  12. land — a country
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. degree — from a university
  17. object — a thing
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. object — an aim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. degree — an amount

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