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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 116 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: cell · deal · lash · season · branch · lean · land · sharp

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. land — a country
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lean — thin
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. land — to come down
  8. branch — a division
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. season — in sport
  14. land — ground
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. deal — to handle
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. season — of the year
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cell — a phone

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