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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: spring · hand · ruler · arm · branch · stand · stock · bass

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stock — goods
  8. hand — help
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spring — of water
  11. branch — a division
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bass — the fish
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stock — shares
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. bass — low music
  24. branch — of a bank

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