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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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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: present · arm · mark · branch · lash · kid · racket · mug

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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. mark — a trace
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kid — to tease
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. present — a gift
  9. branch — a division
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. kid — child
  14. present — there
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mug — a face
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mug — to rob
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. present — the time now
  24. racket — for tennis

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