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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.

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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: spell · wound · cell · degree · game · bound · calf · bank

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. game — wild animals
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. game — a match
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bank — of a river
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bound — tied together
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. degree — an amount
  19. spell — a short time
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bank — for money
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. spell — letters

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