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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: degree · craft · branch · net · shower · nail · calf · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. craft — a skill
  5. degree — temperature
  6. shower — rain
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. degree — an amount
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. degree — from a university
  16. net — for catching
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. net — in sport
  19. shower — to wash
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. net — after costs

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