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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 116 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: lash · bank · current · pop · branch · mate · cell · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bank — for money
  3. cell — a phone
  4. firm — decided
  5. bank — for money
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. firm — a company
  9. mate — a friend
  10. current — of water
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pop — to visit
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. pop — music
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pop — soda
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. branch — a division

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