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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bank — for money
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bank — of a river
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chest — a box
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. chair — a leader
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bank — for money
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pound — a weight

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