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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 · charge · key · firm · can · rash · row · branch

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. charge — a price
  4. key — the most important part
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. firm — a company
  12. charge — electricity
  13. row — to paddle
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. charge — in control
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. can — a tin
  20. row — a line
  21. rash — a series
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. can — to be able to

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