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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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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: shower · branch · toast · deal · saw · chip · snap · lash

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. shower — rain
  7. branch — a division
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. shower — to wash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. chip — for betting
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. saw — the tool
  18. toast — bread
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. chip — to eat
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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