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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: stick · band · degree · hide · rule · press · safe · root

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. press — a publisher
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — from a university
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rule — a law
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. band — a ring
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. root — of a word
  19. band — a music group
  20. degree — an amount
  21. root — the cause
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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