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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
468
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: lie · leaves · spring · degree · rest · mine · stem · squash

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. degree — temperature
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rest — a break
  10. degree — an amount
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. squash — to crush
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stem — to come from
  24. lie — to recline

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