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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: object · deal · branch · straw · bound · rash · degree · leaves

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. branch — a division
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rash — a series
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. degree — temperature
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. object — a thing
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. object — to protest
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. object — an aim
  18. rash — hasty
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bound — tied together
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bound — certain

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