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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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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: fall · leaves · degree · deal · present · chair · wave · stem

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. degree — temperature
  3. chair — a leader
  4. present — a gift
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fall — to drop
  9. degree — from a university
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fall — the season
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fall — to drop
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. present — there
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stem — of a plant

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