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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: branch · board · net · fan · hide · foot · arm · ground

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. net — for catching
  9. board — a committee
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ground — a position
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. ground — crushed
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ground — the earth

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