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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: rest · band · degree · deal · sharp · fall · bound · suit

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rest — what's left
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fall — the season
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bound — tied together
  12. band — a music group
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bound — certain
  16. fall — to drop
  17. suit — to fit
  18. band — a ring
  19. degree — from a university
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rest — what's left
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rest — a break

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