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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mug — to rob
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mug — a face
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mug — a cup
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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