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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 · rule · toast · bark · ground · cabinet · lash · bass

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rule — government
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bark — to shout
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rule — a law
  20. ground — a position
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bass — low music
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bass — the instrument

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