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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. degree — temperature
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. degree — from a university
  7. fine — high quality
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fine — all right
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pass — a permit

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