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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: cabinet · degree · bass · arm · rule · calf · stand · spring

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rule — government
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spring — the season
  18. bass — low music
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bass — the fish
  22. degree — an amount
  23. spring — of water
  24. cabinet — ministers

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