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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. object — to protest
  4. bound — certain
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. object — an aim
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. object — a thing
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. degree — an amount
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. saw — the tool

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