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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 120 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: lash · branch · club · row · mark · foot · deal · last

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. club — for golf
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. last — finally
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. deal — to handle
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. last — final
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. branch — a division
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. last — to go on
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. row — a line

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