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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: branch · game · arm · bore · temple · wind · craft · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. game — a match
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bore — to tire
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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