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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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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rash — a series
  8. degree — an amount
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. row — to paddle
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. row — a line
  15. root — of a word
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rash — hasty
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. face — to point toward
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. face — to confront

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