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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — a division
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. shower — rain
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lean — thin
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — for pool
  22. land — ground
  23. cue — a signal
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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