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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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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 · hand · staff · band · bank · tube · plane · bore

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bank — for money
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. staff — employees
  8. tube — a container
  9. hand — in cards
  10. staff — employees
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. staff — a stick
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — help
  20. bore — to drill
  21. degree — from a university
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bank — of a river

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