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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pitch — completely
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. capital — money
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. swing — music
  12. branch — a division
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. capital — a city
  18. lean — thin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. swing — to play on
  23. root — of a word
  24. arm — part of the body

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