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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bulb — for light
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. branch — a division
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. arm — a part of something

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