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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
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 · cue · wax · clip · degree · bulb · cabinet · bank

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. clip — to cut
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. clip — a video
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bank — for money
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bank — for money
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cue — for pool
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wax — for sculpting

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