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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 must've been a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stand — to bear
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rock — a stone
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rock — music
  9. rush — hurry
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lean — thin
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. perch — the fish

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