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

Word bank: club · land · pass · branch · lash · content · root · bank

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pass — a permit
  6. club — for dancing
  7. root — of a plant
  8. content — the amount
  9. land — to come down
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. club — for golf
  12. root — the cause
  13. bank — for money
  14. root — of a word
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bank — for money
  18. club — a group
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. content — happy
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. branch — a division

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