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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: branch · rest · suit · trunk · lash · mouse · stick · row

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — a division
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. suit — clothes
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. suit — in cards
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rest — a break
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — a line
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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