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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cap — of ice
  3. present — a gift
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. kid — child
  6. bank — for money
  7. swing — music
  8. present — there
  9. bank — of a river
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. present — the time now
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. cap — a lid
  15. branch — a division
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. kick — in football
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cap — a hat
  20. swing — to play on
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bank — for money

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