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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cell — in biology
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rock — music
  20. bank — for money
  21. tube — the underground
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bank — for money
  24. tube — a container

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