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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: degree · wave · stem · tear · board · stick · mine · wind

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. degree — temperature
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mine — for digging
  8. degree — an amount
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. board — a flat piece

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