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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cabinet · dip · spring · bay · degree · bound · arm · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bound — obliged
  3. degree — from a university
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bound — tied together
  9. spring — of water
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spell — magic
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. degree — an amount
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bound — certain
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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