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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rock — a stone
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rock — music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rest — a break
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rest — what's left
  24. degree — from a university

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