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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. plane — a tool
  10. degree — temperature
  11. ground — the earth
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lean — to bend
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ball — a great time
  19. current — happening now
  20. degree — an amount
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. lean — thin
  24. ball — a round shape

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