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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stem · tube · wave · leaves · degree · land · rule · prune

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rule — government
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. degree — an amount
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rule — a law
  19. land — a country
  20. tube — a container
  21. prune — to trim
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wave — of the sea

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