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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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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: branch · degree · craft · can · arm · cell · kick · bound

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. can — a tin
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. degree — temperature
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bound — obliged
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. kick — in football
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bound — certain
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. degree — an amount
  19. craft — boats
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cell — in biology

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