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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. net — in sport
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. tear — from crying
  6. net — after costs
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cue — a signal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. track — a song
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cue — for pool
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. branch — a division
  18. cue — a hint
  19. swing — music
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. net — for catching
  23. swing — in golf
  24. squash — to crush

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