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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: deal · nail · squash · arm · branch · fan · current · rush

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. squash — the sport
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. deal — to handle
  5. current — of water
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. squash — to crush
  11. current — electric
  12. branch — a division
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rush — hurry
  21. current — happening now
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. arm — part of the body

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