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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: arm · perch · kick · deal · can · sharp · branch · cap

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. deal — to handle
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. perch — the fish
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — clever
  12. can — a tin
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. cap — a hat
  22. kick — in football
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. arm — part of the body

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