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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: wave · lie · branch · chest · toast · arm · staff · swing

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. chest — a box
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. chest — of your body
  11. swing — in golf
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. chest — of your body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. staff — employees
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. swing — to play on
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. swing — music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. staff — employees
  24. branch — a division

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