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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: bark · wind · stem · mug · scale · branch · rash · degree

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stem — to come from
  5. scale — size or range
  6. branch — a division
  7. wind — moving air
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mug — a face
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rash — a series
  14. scale — in music
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bark — to shout
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. degree — an amount
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rash — on the skin

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