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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: branch · present · arm · ball · field · spell · craft · lean

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lean — thin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. present — the time now
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. present — there
  9. field — farmland
  10. lean — to bend
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. field — for sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. spell — magic
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. craft — boats
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. present — a gift
  24. craft — a handicraft

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