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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · wound · arm · swing · can · lash · last · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. last — finally
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. last — to go on
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. can — a tin
  12. swing — to play on
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. branch — a division
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wound — an injury
  17. can — to be able to
  18. swing — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. swing — in golf
  22. last — final
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. can — a tin

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