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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: arm · ground · drill · rock · craft · branch · board · rush

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. drill — the tool
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rock — music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. craft — boats
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. craft — a skill
  12. board — a committee
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rock — a stone
  21. drill — army training
  22. board — to get on
  23. rush — hurry
  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