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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: arm · saw · wound · staff · degree · cell · rash · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. degree — from a university
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wound — an injury
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rash — hasty
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cell — a phone
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. degree — an amount
  24. arm — part of the body

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