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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. press — newspapers
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. press — a publisher
  16. scale — in music
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bark — to shout
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. press — to push
  24. arm — a part of something

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