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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: arm · lean · wake · mouse · branch · racket · key · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. branch — a division
  7. degree — temperature
  8. lean — thin
  9. wake — a trail
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — for a lock
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. arm — part of the body

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