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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. snap — to click
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. degree — temperature
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. foot — a measure
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ground — crushed
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. degree — from a university
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ground — a position
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. dip — to sink
  20. degree — an amount
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ground — the earth
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. stem — of a plant

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