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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rest — what's left
  3. branch — a division
  4. field — for sport
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rest — a break
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. field — a subject
  13. bank — for money
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. file — a tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. file — a document
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bank — for money
  24. field — farmland

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