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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
468
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: band · fan · current · degree · wave · object · cell · drill

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. drill — army training
  3. cell — in biology
  4. object — an aim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. degree — from a university
  7. current — of water
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. current — electric
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. object — a thing
  14. band — a ring
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. degree — an amount
  18. band — a music group
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — happening now
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. degree — temperature
  23. object — to protest
  24. wave — with your hand

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