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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: wave · content · patient · degree · trunk · stem · mate · pass

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. degree — temperature
  4. content — the amount
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pass — a permit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. degree — an amount
  18. content — happy
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mate — to breed
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. patient — a sick person

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