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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. degree — an amount
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stem — to come from
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. degree — from a university
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. firm — a company
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mark — to pay attention

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