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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.

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: row · leaves · squash · arm · degree · hand · mate · stand

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. squash — to crush
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mate — to breed
  6. row — a line
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mate — a partner
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stand — to bear
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. degree — an amount
  19. hand — help
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. row — to paddle
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mate — a friend

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