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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: branch · race · row · deal · board · roll · arm · patient

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. roll — a list
  4. race — the arms race
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. race — a contest
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. roll — a cake
  13. row — a line
  14. board — to get on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. deal — to handle
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. branch — a division
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. board — a committee
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. race — humankind

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