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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.

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: fall · branch · rush · rash · arm · rest · cap · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. rash — a series
  9. cap — a hat
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cap — a lid
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rest — a break
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rash — hasty

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