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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: branch · fine · bear · lash · season · sharp · wake · spring

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. season — in sport
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. spring — the season
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spring — of water
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fine — all right
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. season — of the year
  22. branch — a division
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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