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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. tube — a container
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. branch — a division
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bank — for money
  11. board — to get on
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bank — of a river
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. spell — magic
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — to paddle
  24. board — a committee

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