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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: branch · hand · pound · temple · stick · bat · coach · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. branch — a division
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hand — help
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. hand — in cards

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