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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. swing — to play on
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. degree — an amount
  9. current — happening now
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — of water
  14. dip — to sink
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. swing — music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. current — electric
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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