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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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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: arm · wake · can · branch · track · band · fine · nail

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. track — to keep track
  5. can — to be able to
  6. branch — a division
  7. track — a song
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fine — all right
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a music group
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — high quality
  18. track — a path
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. band — a ring
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. can — a tin

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