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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
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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: scale · degree · rash · press · branch · object · mate · safe

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mate — a partner
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. press — newspapers
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — an amount
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. object — to protest
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. degree — from a university
  13. branch — a division
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mate — to breed
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. press — to push
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mate — a friend
  21. object — a thing
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rash — a series
  24. degree — temperature

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