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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: saw · arm · chair · jam · branch · trunk · race · season

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. branch — a division
  8. season — in sport
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. race — a contest
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. saw — the tool
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. race — humankind
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. saw — the tool
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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