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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rock — music
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rock — a stone
  9. branch — a division
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. scale — size or range

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