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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.

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: pitcher · lean · mine · stem · face · mouse · bowl · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. degree — from a university
  8. lean — thin
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. face — to confront
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mine — for digging
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mine — an explosive

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