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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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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: lash · present · cell · wind · arm · branch · racket · stick

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cell — a phone
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. branch — a division
  12. present — the time now
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cell — in biology
  16. wind — moving air
  17. present — a gift
  18. wind — moving air
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. present — there
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. branch — of a tree

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