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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: chest · fine · branch · can · clip · nail · arm · mug

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. can — a tin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fine — all right
  9. chest — a box
  10. mug — to rob
  11. branch — a division
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mug — a face
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fine — high quality
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mug — a cup
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. branch — of a bank
  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