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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. degree — temperature
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. degree — from a university
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cue — a hint
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lean — thin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. lean — to bend
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cue — for pool

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