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

Word bank: bay · pound · nail · wave · degree · lean · rule · root

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. rule — government
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rule — a law
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lean — thin
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. degree — an amount
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. pound — a weight
  17. degree — temperature
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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