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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: stem · rock · tube · rash · spell · degree · lie · pitch

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rash — a series
  6. spell — magic
  7. pitch — completely
  8. spell — letters
  9. stem — to come from
  10. degree — from a university
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rock — a stone
  16. tube — a container
  17. degree — temperature
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rock — music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stem — a stem cell

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