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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 120 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. drill — army training
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. present — the time now
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. present — there
  10. tube — a container
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. prune — to trim
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. prune — to trim
  23. present — a gift
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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