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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: bank · arm · branch · rash · spell · drill · chest · perch

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. branch — a division
  7. rash — a series
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rash — hasty
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chest — a box
  12. drill — army training
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. chest — of your body
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. spell — magic
  18. bank — for money
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spell — letters
  23. drill — the tool
  24. perch — the fish

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