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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.

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: scale · branch · firm · mate · bark · arm · rash · swing

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rash — a series
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. swing — to play on
  7. branch — a division
  8. firm — a company
  9. scale — size or range
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. scale — in music
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. firm — steady
  17. mate — a friend
  18. firm — decided
  19. rash — hasty
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. mate — to breed
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. arm — part of the body

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