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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: hide · rule · degree · trunk · jam · mug · spell · stem

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mug — a cup
  7. degree — temperature
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. spell — magic
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. degree — from a university
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mug — a face
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rule — government
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spell — letters

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