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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. degree — temperature
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. degree — an amount
  7. spell — a short time
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mark — a trace
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. spell — magic
  17. mark — a grade
  18. degree — from a university
  19. key — in music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wake — a trail
  23. key — the most important part
  24. spell — letters

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