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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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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: snap · squash · degree · last · hide · stem · rule · patient

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rule — a law
  4. degree — from a university
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. last — finally
  10. squash — the sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. last — final
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. last — to go on
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. snap — to click
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rule — government
  24. squash — to crush

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