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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 all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — a trail
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mug — a face
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pit — a hole
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mug — to rob
  20. degree — temperature
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pit — in a race
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mug — a cup

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