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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 116 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: sharp · stem · bear · degree · ground · bank · snap · patient

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ground — crushed
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bank — for money
  12. ground — a position
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — clever
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bear — the animal
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. degree — from a university
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. snap — to click
  24. stem — to come from

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