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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rule — a law
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — a division
  5. object — an aim
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. craft — a skill
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. object — to protest
  15. band — a music group
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. band — a ring
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. object — a thing
  21. craft — boats
  22. rule — government
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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