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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.

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: arm · spell · lash · branch · band · ball · key · foot

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ball — a dance
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. band — a music group
  5. spell — magic
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. key — in music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ball — a great time
  13. key — for a lock
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. foot — a measure
  17. branch — a division
  18. spell — letters
  19. band — a ring
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. key — the most important part

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