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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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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 · branch · stick · firm · dip · court · cabinet · face

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. firm — steady
  8. dip — to sink
  9. court — of a king
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. firm — decided
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. firm — a company
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. court — for sport
  24. arm — a part of something

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