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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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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: last · lie · squash · calf · jam · branch · lean · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. last — to go on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lean — thin
  15. last — finally
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. last — final
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. calf — of the leg

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