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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 120 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: arm · pitch · craft · wax · kick · lean · branch · stand

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lean — thin
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. branch — a division
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stand — to bear
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wax — to grow
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. arm — a part of something

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