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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.

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: snap · lean · arm · branch · coach · ground · mouse · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ground — crushed
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. lean — to bend
  6. branch — a division
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lean — thin
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. arm — a part of something

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