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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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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. swing — to play on
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. foot — a measure
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. clip — a video
  13. swing — in golf
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. craft — boats
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. clip — to cut
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. craft — a skill
  20. swing — music
  21. clip — for paper
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stand — to bear
  24. craft — a handicraft

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