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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: mug · firm · foot · stem · fan · rule · wake · degree

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mug — a face
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rule — a law
  7. mug — a cup
  8. firm — a company
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. degree — temperature
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rule — government
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. firm — steady
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. firm — decided
  24. fan — to cool the air

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