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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: drill · temple · arm · trunk · firm · branch · kick · clip

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. firm — a company
  9. clip — to cut
  10. firm — steady
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. clip — for paper
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. kick — in football
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. firm — decided
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. clip — a video

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