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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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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: bulb · wave · present · date · stem · degree · wind · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wind — moving air
  7. present — there
  8. wind — moving air
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. present — a gift
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. degree — an amount
  15. date — the fruit
  16. present — the time now
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rest — a break

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