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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: degree · temple · stick · bark · stem · fine · lash · tube

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. stem — to come from
  5. degree — temperature
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. degree — an amount
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fine — all right
  11. tube — a container
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bark — to shout
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stem — a stem cell

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