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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: racket · last · lie · stand · court · nail · arm · branch

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lie — to recline
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. last — to go on
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. court — of law
  15. last — finally
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. court — for sport
  19. last — final
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. branch — a division
  23. court — of a king
  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