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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. rule — government
  3. degree — temperature
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. branch — a division
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rule — a law
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. tube — the underground
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. degree — an amount
  24. leaves — to go away

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