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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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. face — to point toward
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. degree — an amount
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. face — to confront
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. face — part of the head

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