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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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. race — humankind
  4. object — a thing
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. object — to protest
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. race — the arms race
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bound — obliged
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bound — certain
  17. dip — to sink
  18. object — an aim
  19. stem — to come from
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. race — a contest
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lean — thin

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