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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: lash · dip · mug · craft · branch · object · bass · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. object — an aim
  6. bass — low music
  7. row — a line
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bass — the fish
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mug — a face
  13. branch — a division
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. dip — to sink
  17. row — to paddle
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. craft — boats
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mug — to rob
  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