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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: branch · bay · wake · band · rest · face · club · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rest — a break
  3. face — to point toward
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. band — a ring
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rest — what's left
  17. face — part of the head
  18. branch — a division
  19. face — to confront
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. band — a music group
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rest — what's left

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