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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 120 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: squash · dip · branch · firm · wave · ground · stem · degree

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. firm — decided
  3. squash — to crush
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. branch — a division
  7. stem — to come from
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. dip — to sink
  13. firm — steady
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. degree — from a university
  19. ground — a position
  20. firm — a company
  21. ground — the earth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. degree — temperature
  24. wave — of the sea

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