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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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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: rush · spell · snap · degree · bank · mate · chip · arm

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. mate — to breed
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. spell — letters
  9. bank — for money
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chip — to eat
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rush — hurry
  18. snap — to click
  19. spell — a short time
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. chip — for betting

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