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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: degree · land · rest · mouse · leaves · nail · band · charge

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. band — a ring
  6. charge — electricity
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. degree — temperature
  9. land — ground
  10. degree — an amount
  11. land — to come down
  12. charge — in control
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. degree — from a university
  15. charge — a price
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. land — a country
  18. rest — what's left
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. band — a music group
  23. rest — a break
  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