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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: drill · stem · spell · lean · kick · perch · degree · content

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stem — to come from
  4. content — the amount
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. content — happy
  7. drill — army training
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kick — in football
  10. spell — a short time
  11. perch — the fish
  12. drill — the tool
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lean — to bend
  17. spell — magic
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lean — thin
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. spell — letters
  23. degree — temperature
  24. drill — a practice

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