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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 · bay · face · bear · date · fall · wave · stem

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. face — to confront
  3. date — the fruit
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bear — the animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fall — to drop
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. face — part of the head
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stem — to come from
  24. date — on the calendar

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