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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 120 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: plane · scale · straw · branch · ground · stock · arm · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. branch — a division
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. ground — the earth
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ground — crushed
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. scale — size or range
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stock — shares
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. scale — in music
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ground — a position
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stock — goods

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