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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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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: rest · swing · arm · capital · bay · cell · kick · branch

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. branch — a division
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cell — in biology
  7. kick — in football
  8. rest — a break
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cell — a phone
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. capital — a city
  20. swing — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. swing — to play on
  24. capital — money

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