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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. degree — from a university
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. season — in sport
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — a partner
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stem — to come from
  24. ruler — for measuring

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