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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. staff — employees
  3. branch — a division
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. can — a tin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. staff — employees
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lean — thin
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bore — to drill
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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