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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 · last · ball · rock · sharp · bank · spell

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. last — final
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bank — of a river
  4. last — to go on
  5. spell — magic
  6. last — finally
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rock — music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bank — for money
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ball — a great time
  18. degree — from a university
  19. spell — letters
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bank — for money
  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