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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.

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: net · present · stand · branch · arm · mine · bay · saw

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. present — there
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mine — for digging
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. branch — a division
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stand — to bear

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