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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rule — a law
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rule — government
  13. court — of a king
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. court — of law
  16. lean — thin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. court — for sport
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rule — to rule out

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