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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. suit — in cards
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. net — in sport
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. suit — to fit
  15. degree — from a university
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — an amount
  18. net — for catching
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wound — an injury
  21. net — after costs
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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