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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mate — to breed
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tube — a container
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bank — for money
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. hand — help
  20. mate — a friend
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bank — of a river
  24. hand — in cards

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