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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 · stand · branch · bat · object · kid · bark · leaves

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bark — to shout
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stand — to bear
  8. branch — a division
  9. object — a thing
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. kid — to tease
  15. object — to protest
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. object — an aim
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bat — the animal
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. leaves — lets stay

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