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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. shower — rain
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cold — an illness
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fine — all right
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bulb — for light
  16. shower — to wash
  17. fine — high quality
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — to confront
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. degree — an amount
  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