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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: hide · content · bulb · stem · degree · dip · bat · rest

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. content — the amount
  12. degree — an amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rest — a break
  20. stem — to come from
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bulb — for light

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