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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 120 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: dip · cold · degree · wound · stem · saw · suit · bound

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cold — an illness
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. suit — to fit
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stem — to come from
  10. saw — the tool
  11. suit — clothes
  12. degree — an amount
  13. wound — an injury
  14. suit — in cards
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bound — certain

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