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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 · mate · lash · nail · bank · lie · stand · chest

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bank — for money
  10. chest — a box
  11. branch — a division
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bank — for money
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. chest — of your body
  24. nail — for a hammer

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