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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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. root — of a word
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. degree — an amount
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. suit — clothes
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. degree — from a university
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. suit — to fit
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. root — the cause
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. band — a music group
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. branch — a division
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. degree — temperature
  24. nail — for a hammer

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