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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. degree — an amount
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tear — from crying
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. board — to get on
  10. degree — temperature
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. tear — to rip
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. tear — from crying
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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