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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. degree — temperature
  3. stem — to come from
  4. land — ground
  5. degree — an amount
  6. land — to come down
  7. cell — a phone
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cell — in biology
  14. degree — from a university
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — a trail
  21. land — a country
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. trunk — of a car

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