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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spell — a short time
  5. board — a committee
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. degree — from a university
  9. spell — magic
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rush — hurry
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. board — to get on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. degree — an amount
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. branch — a division
  20. spell — letters
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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