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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: bark · press · ground · lash · suit · branch

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. suit — clothes
  7. branch — a division
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. press — to push
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ground — a position
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. suit — to fit

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