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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: nail · hand · spring · perch · lash · deal · bear · branch

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. perch — the fish
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bear — the animal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hand — in cards
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. hand — help
  19. branch — a division
  20. spring — of water
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bear — the animal

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