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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: branch · arm · ground · stick · can · swing · staff · tear

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. staff — a stick
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. swing — to play on
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. staff — employees
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. swing — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. tear — from crying
  18. can — a tin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. can — to be able to
  23. swing — in golf
  24. staff — employees

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