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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cell — a phone
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. band — a music group
  12. cell — in biology
  13. degree — from a university
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cap — a hat
  17. degree — an amount
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cap — of ice
  21. band — a ring
  22. branch — a division
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hide — to keep secret

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