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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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. leaves — to go away
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. kick — in football
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — a division
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fan — a supporter

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