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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: branch · nail · game · foot · chest · scale · cell · wound

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. scale — size or range
  5. chest — a box
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cell — a phone
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. game — a match
  10. branch — a division
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. game — wild animals
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cell — in biology
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chest — of your body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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