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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 120 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: degree · staff · bay · cell · coach · net · stem · lie

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. degree — an amount
  3. staff — employees
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — for catching
  7. cell — a phone
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. net — after costs
  17. lie — to recline
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. staff — employees
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. net — in sport

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