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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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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: stand · key · charge · branch · degree · wave · stick · ruler

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. charge — a price
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. key — in music
  19. charge — electricity
  20. degree — temperature
  21. branch — a division
  22. degree — an amount
  23. charge — in control
  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