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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
468
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: cell · nail · ground · court · lash · branch · rush · chair

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cell — in biology
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. court — of law
  8. rush — hurry
  9. court — of a king
  10. branch — a division
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. court — for sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lash — an eyelash

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