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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · hide · last · wind · degree · charge

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. degree — temperature
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. charge — electricity
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stem — to come from
  7. degree — from a university
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. charge — in control
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. charge — a price
  16. last — to go on
  17. degree — an amount
  18. hide — to keep secret

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