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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: face · calf · arm · ruler · bay · swing · branch · cell

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cell — in biology
  4. face — to point toward
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. face — to confront
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. branch — a division
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. face — part of the head
  21. swing — to play on
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. swing — music

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