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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: firm · swing · bank · branch · arm · drill · present · temple

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bank — of a river
  4. branch — a division
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. firm — a company
  12. present — the time now
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — army training
  16. firm — steady
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. firm — decided
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bank — for money
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. drill — the tool

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