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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: cell · scale · branch · arm · bear · mark · rash · rock

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. branch — a division
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. scale — size or range
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rock — music
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rash — a series
  24. rock — to move gently

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