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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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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: scale · club · hand · snap · foot · arm · branch · drill

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. scale — size or range
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. club — for golf
  5. drill — a practice
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. scale — in music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. club — for dancing
  14. branch — a division
  15. snap — to click
  16. drill — the tool
  17. club — a group
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. hand — in cards
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. drill — army training
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. arm — part of the body

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