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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: degree · cell · bound · arm · branch · cap · suit · last

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. last — to go on
  4. cap — of ice
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. last — final
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. suit — in cards
  9. branch — a division
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. last — finally
  12. bound — obliged
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cap — a hat
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cell — a phone
  20. degree — from a university
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cap — a lid
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. degree — temperature

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