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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: arm · degree · lean · stick · mouse · bank · hand · board

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bank — for money
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hand — help
  10. bank — of a river
  11. lean — thin
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — to get on
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lean — to bend

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