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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · lash · saw · cell · game · can

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cell — in biology
  10. game — wild animals
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison

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