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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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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: mate · deal · wave · nail · band · roll · root · degree

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. mate — to breed
  7. root — of a word
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. degree — temperature
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. degree — from a university
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. band — a ring
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. deal — to handle
  18. degree — an amount
  19. band — a music group
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. root — the cause
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mate — a partner

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