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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.

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: branch · mate · bound · rush · mine · bay · wave · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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 — of a bank
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bound — certain
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bound — obliged
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. branch — a division
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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