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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: branch · chest · fall · date · lie · lash · cabinet · last

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. fall — the season
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. last — finally
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chest — of your body
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chest — a box
  24. branch — a division

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