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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 my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. chip — to eat
  3. tube — a container
  4. degree — from a university
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cap — a lid
  9. degree — an amount
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lie — to recline
  17. chip — for betting
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cap — a hat
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cap — of ice
  23. tube — the underground
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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