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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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468
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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. degree — an amount
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wax — to grow
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. degree — temperature
  15. race — humankind
  16. toast — bread
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. race — a contest
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. degree — from a university

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