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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: branch · stand · rush · march · staff · arm · chip · fall

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. march — music
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. march — the month
  7. chip — to eat
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stand — to bear
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. branch — a division
  17. fall — to drop
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fall — the season
  23. rush — hurry
  24. branch — of a tree

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