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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. degree — temperature
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bound — certain
  13. roll — a list
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rule — a law
  18. bound — tied together
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bound — obliged
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stem — to come from
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rule — government

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