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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: present · rest · face · kick · lash · bank · rush · branch

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. face — part of the head
  3. present — the time now
  4. kick — in football
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. branch — a division
  9. present — there
  10. rest — a break
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bank — for money
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. face — to confront
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. present — a gift
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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