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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.

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: wave · degree · suit · band · press · capital · bark · wake

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. capital — a city
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bark — to shout
  8. degree — temperature
  9. suit — clothes
  10. capital — money
  11. degree — an amount
  12. band — a ring
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. suit — to fit
  16. band — a music group
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. press — a publisher
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. suit — in cards
  23. degree — from a university
  24. capital — a big letter

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