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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: rush · hand · pit · roll · key · arm · fan · branch

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. roll — a cake
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. roll — a list
  11. key — the most important part
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rush — hurry
  20. branch — a division
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. key — in music
  23. hand — help
  24. roll — on a roll

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