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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: arm · wound · branch · pit · degree · bound · safe · rash

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. degree — from a university
  8. wound — an injury
  9. branch — a division
  10. rash — a series
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bound — certain
  14. degree — temperature
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pit — a hole
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wound — an injury
  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