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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: spell · mug · degree · branch · trunk · arm · lean · court

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. court — of a king
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. degree — from a university
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mug — to rob
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. spell — letters
  13. court — of law
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. degree — temperature
  16. spell — magic
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mug — a face
  19. branch — a division
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. court — for sport

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