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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 120 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: hand · degree · arm · bank · chair · vault · mouse · drill

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. hand — help
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bank — for money
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. degree — from a university
  24. drill — army training

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