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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 · saw · chest · degree · bank · can · tube · craft

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bank — of a river
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. craft — a skill
  5. can — to be able to
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. degree — temperature
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — an amount
  16. tube — the underground
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. degree — from a university
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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