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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: board · leaves · net · arm · bulb · kick · suit · branch

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. net — in sport
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. board — to get on
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. board — a committee
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — a division
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. suit — clothes
  22. kick — in football
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

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