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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. content — happy
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. file — a tool
  15. content — the amount
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. file — a document
  19. drill — army training
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. branch — of a tree

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