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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · wound · stock · patient · arm · lash · bear · branch

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wound — an injury
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stock — goods
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. branch — a division
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bear — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stock — shares
  24. lash — to lash out

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