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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. swing — in golf
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. branch — a division
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stem — to come from
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. swing — music
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. swing — to play on
  19. deal — to handle
  20. prune — to trim
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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