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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: chair · degree · trunk · stem · fine · lash · mouse · hide

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. degree — from a university
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fine — all right
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stem — a stem cell

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