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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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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: rest · mouse · degree · mug · pound · rash · stem · bay

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pound — a weight
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rash — a series
  18. rest — a break
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — an amount

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