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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mate — to breed
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. branch — a division
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. present — the time now
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. present — a gift
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. rash — a series
  20. mate — a friend
  21. present — there
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ground — crushed

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