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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. hand — in cards
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fork — in a road
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. degree — an amount
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. hand — help
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. degree — temperature

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