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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.

Make a worksheet

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: branch · shower · bay · lash · bass · net · craft · squash

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. net — after costs
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bass — low music
  10. craft — boats
  11. branch — a division
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. craft — a skill
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. squash — the sport
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. bass — the fish
  22. shower — to wash
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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