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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 · foot · straw · arm · rash · snap · dip · bound

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. branch — a division
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bound — tied together
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. snap — to click
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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