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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. spell — letters
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rock — music
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. shower — rain
  17. kick — in football
  18. spell — magic
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. branch — a division
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spell — a short time

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