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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: content · arm · wound · mate · degree · rock · chair · wake

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. content — the amount
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. degree — temperature
  8. content — happy
  9. wake — a trail
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wound — an injury
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mate — a friend
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rock — a stone

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