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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: cell · arm · branch · bear · saw · leaves · swing · net

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — a division
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. swing — music
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. swing — in golf
  13. saw — the tool
  14. net — in sport
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. swing — to play on
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bear — the animal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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