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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pit — a hole
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rest — a break
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. degree — temperature
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mark — a grade

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