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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 116 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: lash · march · rush · stem · mark · safe · degree · fine

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — to come from
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. march — the month
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. march — the month
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. march — music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mark — a grade

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