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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. perch — the fish
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. swing — in golf
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fine — high quality
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. swing — to play on
  18. branch — a division
  19. fine — all right
  20. cap — a lid
  21. swing — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cap — of ice
  24. perch — for a bird

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