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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. object — to protest
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stem — to come from
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. deal — to handle
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cue — a hint
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. cue — for pool
  18. degree — an amount
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stem — a stem cell

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