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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. roll — a list
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lie — to recline
  13. degree — temperature
  14. content — the amount
  15. roll — a cake
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. craft — boats
  22. content — happy
  23. ground — a position
  24. stem — of a plant

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