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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 120 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: chip · hide · branch · lash · snap · shower · lie · perch

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. perch — the fish
  4. lie — to recline
  5. shower — rain
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. shower — to wash
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chip — for betting
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chip — to eat
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. snap — to click
  22. branch — a division
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chip — in 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