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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kick — in football
  4. branch — a division
  5. mine — for digging
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fork — in a road
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. club — for golf
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. club — for dancing
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. club — a group
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. branch — of a bank

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