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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. branch — a division
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. lean — thin
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. key — for a lock
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. key — in music
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lean — to bend
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. shower — rain

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