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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. spring — of water
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spring — the season
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wake — a trail
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lean — thin
  15. spring — a coil
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bear — the animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  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