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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.

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: roll · degree · arm · spell · stem · lie · kick · drill

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. degree — an amount
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. drill — the tool
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. spell — magic
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. kick — in football
  11. spell — letters
  12. roll — a list
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. roll — a cake
  15. spell — a short time
  16. degree — temperature
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lie — to recline
  20. drill — army training
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. degree — from a university
  24. arm — a part of something

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