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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rest — a break
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. spell — magic
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stem — to come from
  9. spell — letters
  10. pop — music
  11. kick — in football
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. content — the amount
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. content — happy
  17. spell — a short time
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pop — to visit
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pop — soda
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rock — music

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