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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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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 · staff · cell · wave · degree · race · toast · suit

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. suit — clothes
  12. race — a contest
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cell — in biology
  15. race — humankind
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. staff — employees
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. degree — from a university
  24. race — the arms race

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