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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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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: cell · sharp · lash · branch · pitcher · stand · stock · temple

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stock — shares
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stock — goods
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. branch — a division
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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