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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: foot · hand · swing · branch · craft · chair · saw · dip

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. saw — the tool
  3. swing — music
  4. foot — a measure
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. hand — help
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. swing — in golf
  15. branch — a division
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. dip — to sink
  21. craft — a skill
  22. swing — to play on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. foot — the bottom

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