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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. can — a tin
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cap — a hat
  6. root — of a word
  7. degree — an amount
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lean — thin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. degree — from a university
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — a container
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. root — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. tube — the underground
  23. root — the cause
  24. lash — to lash out

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