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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. staff — a stick
  4. branch — a division
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. staff — employees
  9. mate — a friend
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cap — a hat
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. branch — of a bank

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