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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.

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: mouse · pop · bark · wave · dip · degree · stem · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. degree — an amount
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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