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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · arm · plane · lash · current · band · leaves · branch

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. current — electric
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. chair — a leader
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. current — of water
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. branch — a division
  10. band — a ring
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. plane — a tool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. current — happening now
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. band — a music group

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