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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: coach · arm · wind · branch · deal · lash · bay · chest

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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 bank
  3. chest — a box
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chest — of your body
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chest — of your body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. branch — a division
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wind — moving air

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