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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rest — a break
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fall — the season
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wind — to turn a key

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