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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. degree — temperature
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. tube — a container
  8. wind — moving air
  9. spell — letters
  10. pound — a weight
  11. spell — magic
  12. can — to be able to
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. can — a tin
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. can — a tin
  18. cap — a lid
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pound — to hit hard

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