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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · scale · clip · root · cabinet · arm · branch · bark

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. branch — a division
  4. scale — in music
  5. root — of a plant
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. clip — a video
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bark — to shout
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. root — of a word
  19. clip — for paper
  20. board — to get on
  21. root — the cause
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. board — a committee
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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