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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: net · spring · stand · trunk · lash · bay · pound · branch

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. spring — of water
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. net — for catching
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. net — after costs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. net — in sport
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spring — the season
  21. branch — a division
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. trunk — of a tree

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