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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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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: cabinet · stem · wake · rush · bass · present · trunk · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bass — low music
  3. degree — an amount
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. present — there
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — from a university
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bass — the fish
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. present — the time now
  22. stem — to come from
  23. present — a gift
  24. wake — before a funeral

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