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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mark — a grade
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. object — an aim
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — to recline
  17. degree — an amount
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. stem — to come from
  24. object — a thing

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