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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stem — to come from
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fall — to drop
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rest — what's left
  10. key — in music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. band — a music group
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rest — a break
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fall — to drop
  23. band — a ring
  24. degree — temperature

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