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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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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 · swing · calf · straw · stick · branch · arm · wake

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. swing — to play on
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. branch — a division
  11. swing — music
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. calf — a young animal
  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