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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: kick · chip · branch · bass · pop · ruler · lash · kid

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bass — low music
  6. pop — music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. kid — child
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chip — for betting
  16. branch — a division
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chip — to eat
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. kick — in football
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kid — to tease

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