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

Word bank: bound · date · arm · racket · rest · lash · temple · branch

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bound — certain
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rest — a break
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rest — what's left
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. branch — a division
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rest — what's left

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