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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rule — government
  3. present — a gift
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. degree — an amount
  6. present — there
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. present — the time now
  11. snap — to click
  12. band — a music group
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. band — a ring
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rule — a law
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stem — to come from
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pound — a weight

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