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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: straw · bulb · arm · branch · calf · lash · bass · club

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. club — for golf
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bass — low music
  18. club — a group
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. club — for dancing

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