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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. track — a path
  3. rest — a break
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rush — hurry
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. degree — from a university
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stem — to come from
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bear — the animal
  21. track — a song
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bear — the animal

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