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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · branch · mate · tube · club · rock · field · file

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. club — for golf
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rock — music
  14. mate — a friend
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. file — a tool
  18. tube — a container
  19. club — a group
  20. field — farmland
  21. mate — a partner
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rock — to move gently
  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