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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: pitch · arm · wax · staff · branch · face · swing · bay

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. branch — a division
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. face — to confront
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. swing — to play on
  7. face — part of the head
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. staff — employees
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. face — to point toward
  16. staff — a stick
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. staff — employees
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. branch — of a bank
  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