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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: squash · cell · wave · coach · branch · cabinet · lash · safe

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. squash — the sport
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cell — a phone
  11. branch — a division
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cell — in biology
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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