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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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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 · mug · fork · bound · arm · stick · rest · chip

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mug — a face
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fork — in a road
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. chip — for betting
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rest — a break
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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