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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · dip · net · branch · coach · arm · mouse · stick

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. branch — a division
  3. tube — the underground
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. net — in sport
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. net — after costs
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — a container
  24. net — for catching

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