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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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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: temple · stand · arm · branch · row · spell · court · lash

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spell — a short time
  4. court — for sport
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. row — a line
  10. court — of a king
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. court — of law
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. spell — magic
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. row — to paddle

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