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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. root — the cause
  3. race — humankind
  4. branch — a division
  5. bulb — for light
  6. root — of a word
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. degree — an amount
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. snap — to click
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. race — a contest
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — from a university
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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