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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: wave · degree · ball · arm · chest · mark · leaves · scale

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mark — a trace
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. degree — from a university
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. degree — an amount
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ball — a great time
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mark — a grade
  15. chest — a box
  16. scale — size or range
  17. degree — temperature
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. scale — in music

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