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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 120 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 · deal · rash · safe · content · net · rest · branch

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rest — a break
  4. net — for catching
  5. deal — to handle
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. branch — a division
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — what's left
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. net — in sport
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. net — after costs
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. content — happy
  19. rest — what's left
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. content — the amount
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rash — hasty

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