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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. roll — a list
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. roll — a cake
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bound — obliged

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