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

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. club — a group
  4. branch — a division
  5. rash — hasty
  6. file — a tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. file — a document
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. file — a line of people
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stem — of a plant

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