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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
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: squash · rest · degree · stem · scale · lean · bound · straw

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bound — obliged
  6. scale — in music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stem — to come from
  14. squash — to crush
  15. degree — an amount
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lean — thin
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rest — a break
  23. bound — tied together
  24. squash — the sport

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