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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: shower · lie · branch · bank · lash · prune · rush · clip

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lie — to recline
  5. shower — rain
  6. branch — a division
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. clip — to cut
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. clip — a video
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — to wash
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. prune — the fruit

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