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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 120 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: chair · key · suit · bat · lash · bowl · branch · temple

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. key — in music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. suit — in cards
  14. branch — a division
  15. suit — to fit
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. key — for a lock
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lash — an eyelash

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