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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fall — to drop
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stem — to come from
  7. degree — an amount
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. degree — from a university
  16. net — for catching
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. net — in sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. saw — the tool
  23. net — after costs
  24. bulb — for light

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