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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: rash · coach · club · arm · wave · branch · face · kid

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. branch — a division
  3. club — a group
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. face — part of the head
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. face — to point toward
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. club — for golf
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — to confront
  19. club — for dancing
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. kid — child

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