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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mark — a trace
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. degree — an amount
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stem — to come from
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. snap — to click
  13. plane — a tool
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mine — for digging
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. degree — from a university
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mark — a grade

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