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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. board — to get on
  3. degree — from a university
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. degree — temperature
  6. suit — to fit
  7. degree — an amount
  8. wound — an injury
  9. board — a committee
  10. plane — a tool
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pass — a permit
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. temple — a place of worship

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