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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 120 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 · wake · stick · cabinet · spell · root · arm · key

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. key — the most important part
  4. spell — letters
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. spell — magic
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wake — a trail
  15. root — of a plant
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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