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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · wax · arm · mug · branch · row · straw · rest

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rest — a break
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mug — to rob
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. mug — a cup
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mug — a face
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rest — what's left
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rest — what's left
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wax — to grow

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