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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: ground · lash · degree · stem · snap · mouse · bound · bowl

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bound — tied together
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bound — certain
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. snap — to click
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. ground — a position
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. degree — an amount

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