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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.

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: degree · arm · bay · sharp · branch · tube · cabinet · bear

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. branch — a division
  7. degree — temperature
  8. tube — a container
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — the underground
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bear — the animal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bear — to put up with

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