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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: cap · rule · mouse · lash · saw · branch · row · jam

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. row — a line
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rule — government
  8. branch — a division
  9. saw — the tool
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cap — a hat
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mouse — for a computer

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