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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bank — for money
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bank — of a river
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cold — an illness
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bank — for money
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. perch — the fish
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lash — an eyelash

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