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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · chest · roll · leaves · arm · branch · bowl · rash

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chest — a box
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rash — hasty
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rash — a series
  24. roll — a list

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