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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: mark · kick · lash · branch · saw · bound · band · arm

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. branch — a division
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. band — a ring
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. band — a music group
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bound — obliged
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mark — a grade
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. kick — in football
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mark — a trace

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