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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: capital · squash · branch · dip · press · arm · row · suit

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. suit — clothes
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. press — newspapers
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. dip — to sink
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. press — a publisher
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. squash — the sport
  13. row — a line
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. branch — a division
  17. press — to push
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. capital — a city
  22. row — to paddle
  23. squash — to crush
  24. capital — money

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