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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lie — to recline
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bass — the fish
  9. net — after costs
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — to come from
  12. degree — temperature
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bound — obliged
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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