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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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Word bank
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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. land — to come down
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. branch — a division
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. land — ground
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. spell — magic
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. land — a country
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. temple — a place of worship

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