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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — soda
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. staff — a stick
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pop — music
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. staff — employees
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. staff — employees

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