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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 · bore · face · perch · track · pound · lash · pitch

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bore — to tire
  10. face — to point toward
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bore — to drill
  19. branch — a division
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pitch — completely

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