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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.

Make a worksheet

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: nail · branch · mark · swing · arm · clip · fan · root

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. clip — to cut
  9. root — the cause
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. branch — a division
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mark — a trace
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. swing — music
  22. root — of a word
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. clip — a video

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