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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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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: object · branch · ground · suit · wake · lash · patient · file

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. ground — the earth
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. file — a document
  8. suit — clothes
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. file — a tool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. object — to protest
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wake — a trail
  17. suit — to fit
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ground — a position
  22. object — an aim
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. object — a thing

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