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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. hand — in cards
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. branch — a division
  6. season — of the year
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. hand — help
  9. track — a song
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. track — a path
  16. stand — to bear
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. season — in sport

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